Invoke Live: Social Networking - JUL2010 (Invoke)

Invoke Live: Social NetworkingTopline Report | July 29, 2010

© 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential2

Table of Contents

Study Design 3

Executive Summary 5

Drivers and modes of social media use 10

Trust in social networking 15

Facebook 17

Twitter 20

The role of brands 21

Smartphones

What’s Next

Appendix

27

30

35


Study Design

Methodology

� This study incorporated the Invoke Solutions’ Engage Live research technology, which enables a dynamic, real-time, moderated discussion with a large, live sample.

Participant Design

� Adult males and females evenly distributed across age range from 18 to 50+

� Must have more than one active social media account (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc..) OR be a Facebook account holder with more than 25 friends

� Frequently engage in social media related behavior such as:

� Log into Facebook, Linked-in or other social networking site

� Check for new tweets from people you follow or tweet yourself

� Participate in a branded community

� Read or comment on a blog

� Write their own blog

� Expect current level of social media use to grow or remain at current level in the future

� Total: n=314

Session Length/Time

� 60 Minute Live Session: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

� 60 Minute Open Session: Wednesday, June 16 – June 18, 2010


Background and Objectives

Social Networking is a frequent topic of conversation within the marketing research community. From online sample sources who recruit from social networking sites to companies that mine what’s being said about your brand, it seems that there is no shortage of ways to reach and gather insight from members of social networks.

But how well do we understand who these people are, how they use social media, and what role the various social media play in their lives?

Our objectives were to explore:• The range of activities that users leverage social networking sites for and the

interplay between those sites (Facebook, Twitter, branded community sites, etc.)

• Their views on the role of brands, products and retailers within the social networking ecosystem

• The rapidly evolving role of smartphones in increasing awareness and near instantaneous participation (with those brands, products and retailers)

• The feedback opportunity within these environments

• What’s next in this rapidly changing medium?


Executive Summary

• Participants overwhelmingly indicated that their use of social networking was about simply staying connected with others

• Some participants even expressed that social networking might be better than traditional forms of interaction because it:

• removes geographical boundaries

• allows users to decide when and with whom they interact

• allows users to update many people simultaneously

• Participants are spending their social networking time engaged in a range of activities and in both an information sharing and gathering mode

• Participants tended to have the most trust for content produced by people they know in social media

• but company content was also trusted by a third of participants

• The critical factors in trusting social media content were the open nature of the dialog (both positive and negative sentiments expressed) and quality of content, not longevity of the relationship or the size of the audience


Executive Summary (cont)

Facebook

• Many of the activities participants indicated they did the most of, and

with the most frequency, were via Facebook, placing it at the epicenter of

social networking activity

• The company itself had the highest unaided awareness and was also

frequently cited as the most influential company in social networking

• However, Facebook’s recent privacy challenges are having an impact on

users perceptions of the company and their services

Twitter

• While “Tweeting” and “Following people on Twitter” ranked lower than

many other social media activities in current use, the company ranked 2nd

only to Facebook in awareness among participants and there appears to

be a growing trend to use Twitter to connect with companies



Role of Brands

• Consumers clearly believe that companies and brands have a significant

role to play in social media and are in many ways re-shaping what Social

Networking is used for

• 65% of participants follow a company or brand via Facebook

• 31% follow a company or brand on Twitter

• 47% indicated they had posted a comment on a company’s Facebook page

• 32% had posted a comment about a company or product on their own

Facebook page

• 32% and 30% shared “new product information” and “information on sales

and deals” respectively with their social network

• Consumers indicated that they expect to be rewarded for their

interactions with companies via “deals” or “coupons”, which are their top

reasons for following a company on Facebook as well as the reward they

expect in response to a company complaint



Smartphones

• While some participants were undecided about the role of cell phones in their social media activities, many more viewed the ability to access their social network as a benefit of a smartphone purchase

• Participants who want to access their social network via their cell phone, want that phone to support roughly the same activities their computer does now – IM, “Facebooking”, and maybe even a little shopping

What’s Next

• Participants expected both social media’s presence and the number of people using it to grow in the next 2-5 years and for it to become central to the way people communicate with one another

• Advertisers are expected to use social media as a tool to specifically target customers and as a means of engaging in conversations with them on their terms and when they have demonstrated interest in a particular brand or service

• Facebook is expected to become even more central to social networking; only a few could envision a future where Facebook’s role was supplanted by an un-known new technology

• Some participants expressed concerns about social media depersonalizing communication, and cited a need for balance


Key Findings


Hyper Social Networkers are actively involved in a

number of social media

0%

30%

39%

25%

39%

50%

31%

40%

35%

41%

26%

65%

90%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I don't do any of these activities

I participate in an online community sponsored by a brand or company

I regularly post comments on blogs

I write my own blog

I read product or company sponsored blogs

I regularly read personal blogs

I currently follow products or companies on Twitter

I currently follow people on Twitter

I have a Twitter account which I actively use

I have an account on another social networking website which I actively use

I have a Linked-In account which I actively use

I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on Facebook

I have a Facebook account which I actively use

7) Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:

• However, Facebook clearly dominates, as most participants used Facebook

as a baseline activity


A basic human desire to be part of the world is driving

social media usage

Q) Please rank the reasons WHY you use social media like web sites, blogs or twitter.

• Participants overwhelmingly responded that they used social media to just

“stay connected”, with 63% ranking it as their number one reason, again

reinforcing the dominance of Facebook

1%

1%

2%

3%

3%

6%

7%

13%

63%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

To share information

To learn

Another reason

To make new connections

To give feedback/make your opinion known

To gather information

To be entertained

To socialize

To stay connected with friends, family or colleagues


Social Networkers are sharing a variety of things to “stay connected”…

Q) What kind of things do you most frequently share? Please select all of the following that you share when you communicate.

• Participants selected “Just say hi” (80%) and “Family updates” (75%) as the

most frequent things they share

• But more than 30% of respondents indicated they frequently shared nine

different types of information


…and engaging in a range of activities

Q) Which way of communicating or connecting do you do most frequently? (Left Pie Chart)

Q) Thinking about the way you communicate or connect most frequently, what are the advantages or benefits of communicating in this way? What

do you like more about this way of connecting than traditional means? (Verbatims)

• Posting personal updates and comments on other people’s Facebook pages

were the most frequently selected ways to communicate

• “I can get the message to my whole friends list at one time.”

• “Convenience of being able to communicate on my own time, from my computer or my phone.”

• “It is easier to follow other people and what they are doing by going to their Facebook page and commenting there. It helps me stay more connected and more informed.”

• “All I have to do is read what someone else has to say and comment on it if I choose. I can say nothing or a lot depending on how I feel about it.”

• “Many of my friends & family will post status updates about their life. I would probably not have heard about this part of their lives (even if I called them on the phone). It gives me more info about a person no matter how trivial it may be. It also is a great way to get the news out to tons of people without having to call everyone or send an e-mail & forgetting that you may have left someone off”


Social Networking is about a two-way exchange of

information

Q) How much of the time that you spend in social media (between social networking sites, blogs, twitter) is spent doing each of the following:

• On balance, a third of participants indicated that they spent >60% of

their time in social media viewing other people’s content (34%) and

generating or passing along content themselves (31%)

22%

23%

30%

24%

20%

22%

14%

9%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Gathering and viewing content from OTHER PEOPLE have

generated

Creating and sharing content like Facebook, or blog posts or

tweets

20% - 40% of the time 40% - 60% of the time 60% - 80% of the time More than 80% of the time


Trust runs high in Social Networking, even for companies and independent bloggers

Q) Speaking of trust, how much do you trust the following sources of information, with 1= Trust completely and 5 = Don't trust at all?

• Generally, participants trusted information most when it was

generated by friends, or people they know regardless of content

form

• However Facebook posts by companies were either “trusted

completely” or “trusted somewhat” by 41% of respondents and

company blog posts fared nearly as well at 36%

5%

6%

6%

8%

8%

9%

11%

12%

23%

26%

16%

19%

20%

22%

29%

32%

25%

33%

41%

38%

46%

44%

48%

51%

44%

42%

42%

35%

19%

20%

20%

20%

16%

14%

14%

11%

15%

11%

10%

9%

13%

12%

8%

6%

6%

6%

6%

9%

7%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Independent blogger's twitter stream

Blog posts by independent bloggers

Brand, product or company twitter streams

Brand, product or company comments in online community

Fellow community member comments

Posts by a brand, product or company you follow in Facebook

Blog post by a brand, product or company

Friend's twitter stream

Posts by friends in Facebook

Blog posts by people you know

Trust completely

Trust somewhat

Neither trust nor

distrustDistrust somewhat

Don't trust at all


However, trust can easily erode if the quality of the

interaction degrades• The most important factors in trusting a social media content source

were open nature of dialog, and the quality of comments and

content

• Somewhat surprisingly, few participants rated length of

participation (15%) and number of fellow fans, followers and

participants (12%) as extremely important

Q) Please rate how important the following factors are in how much you trust a blog, twitter, Facebook page or community site, with 1 = Extremely

important and 5 = Not at all important

12%

15%

16%

20%

30%

35%

37%

26%

27%

26%

29%

30%

27%

27%

31%

34%

39%

32%

22%

25%

21%

13%

10%

11%

11%

9%

7%

8%

18%

13%

8%

9%

7%

6%

8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Number of people who are fans,

followers or participants

How long you have been a fan,

follower or participant

Volume of content

Volume of participation

Responsiveness of sponsor or

author

Quality of the comments and

content

The dialog is open to both

positive and negative comments

Extremely important

Somewhat important

Neither important nor

unimportantSomewhat

unimportantNot at al l important


Facebook is clearly the center of the

Social Networking universe…

• “facebook, many people think they can't live without it”

• “Of course, facebook, because it 's the largest and most extensive social network of various people common themes and interests”

• “Facebook because many companies use it as an outlet to promote”

• “facebook, you can connect more with companies, friends, family, and things you want to get involved with”

• “I would say Facebook. It seems to be the most popular one where people can share thoughts, pictures, ideas. Businesses even have Facebook accounts to draw customers”

• “facebook, it has a lot of users, also has a lot of tools and games available to keep users occupied and checking in frequently”

Q) We are here today to talk about SOCIAL NETWORKING. When I say SOCIAL NETWORKING, what do you think of? (1st percentage)

Q) Please list all of the social networking SITES or TOOLS that come to mind now. (2ndt percentage)

Q) What COMPANY would you say is the most influential in the social networking? Why do you say that? (Verbatims)

• 78% of participants mentioned

Facebook when asked what they

think of when someone says

“social networking”

• 94% of participants listed

Facebook when asked to name a

social media tool or site

Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:

65%

90%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

I am a fan of at least one product

or retailer on Facebook

I have a Facebook account which I

actively use


…and appeals to all age groups

Number of Facebook Friends

200+ 100-200 51-100 26-50 More than 100

Age 50+ 9% 16% 36% 39% 25%

Age 45-49 11% 20% 31% 37% 31%

Age 40-44 30% 16% 34% 20% 46%

Age 35-39 17% 33% 35% 15% 50%

Age 30-34 24% 24% 33% 19% 48%

Age 25-29 40% 30% 13% 17% 70%

Age 18-24 38% 38% 13% 13% 76%

Total 24% 24% 29% 23% 48%

While a quarter of participants age 50+ reported having over 100

Facebook friends, the percentage of participants with 100+ friends grew

as their age declined

• Nearly 2/3 those ages 18-29

• Nearly 1/2 of those ages 30-39

• Over 1/3 of those ages 40-49

Q) Approximately how many friends do you have on Facebook?


Yet Facebook is vulnerable to

privacy concerns

• “my personal information is just that--personal. if i wanted the world to have my cell number or my email, i would have posted it myself”

• “I think people assume their personal details will be left alone by default.”

• “Having to opt-out of having your information distributed to anyone is terrible.”

• “The issues are raised because people share way too much on Facebook. It'd be so easy to steal someone's information or know where they are during the day based on status updates.”

• “People expect Facebook to protect them, but they need to do more to protect themselves and not put up things they shouldn't.”

• “ It should be an issue to some people, maybe they will be more careful and take the proper precautions when using a social network or anything else on the web.”

• More than a third of participants

indicated that Facebook’s privacy issues

had changed their opinion of the

company or raised concerns

• Participants frequently cited the

need for more personal

responsibility around information

sharing

Q) Facebook has recently faced a lot of criticism about both what privacy controls it offers and how easy those controls are understood by members.

Has this changed your opinion about the company or raised concerns about your use of its service? (Left Chart)

Q) What do you think the issues are related to privacy and social media? Why do feel it is an issue for some people? (Verbatims)


Twitter is growing in influence

Q) We are here today to talk about SOCIAL NETWORKING. When I say SOCIAL NETWORKING, what do you think of? (1st percentage)

Q) Please list all of the social networking SITES or TOOLS that come to mind now. (2ndt percentage)

Q) What COMPANY would you say is the most influential in the social networking? Why do you say that? (Verbatims)

• 31% of participants mentioned

Twitter when asked what they

think of when someone says

social networking

• 77% of participants listed Twitter

when asked to name a social

media tool or site

Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:

• “Twitter. They seem to be the biggest and hottest @ the moment.”

• “twitter, they are all over tv and other media networks”

• “A toss up between Facebook and Twitter they both seem to dominate the industry”

• “Twitter has really gotten a lot of attention due to celebrities.”

• “Twitter, because it allows one to track someone through their daily lives.”

• “I would have to say Twitter because I see it advertised all of the time.”

• “I think it changes pretty quickly. Right now I'd say Twitter because it's getting all kinds of media exposure. All kinds of celebrities and companies are using it and make it known they're on there”

35%

40%

31%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

I have a Twitter Account

which I actively use

I currently follow people on

Twitter

I currently follow products or

companies on Twitter


Companies and Brands are a significant and acceptable

presence in Social Networking

Information on sales

or deals, 30%

New product reviews

or information, 32%

23% 25% 27% 29% 31% 33%

Q) How much of the time that you spend in social media (between social networking sites, blogs, twitter) is spent doing each of the following: (Left

chart)

Q) What kind of things do you most frequently share? Please select all of the following that you share when you communicate. (Right Chart)

• A quarter of participants indicated that they spent > 40% of their

social media time gathering or viewing content that a Brand or

Company had generated

• A third of participants shared “new product information” and

“information on sales and deals” with their social network

26%

53% 22% 12% 11% 3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Less than 20% of the time 20% - 40% of the time 40% - 60% of the time

60% - 80% of the time More than 80% of the time


Social Networkers are interacting with companies in

various ways

9%

10%

11%

13%

17%

17%

17%

18%

19%

21%

24%

25%

32%

41%

47%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Other

IM (any instant message vehicle)

Send videos

Distribute original content

Blog

Chat within Facebook

Tweet

Interact via other social sites

Send pictures

Redistribute content links

I don't interact w/companies or brands via social networking

Update Facebook status

Post comment on your own Facebook page

Read Blogs

Post a comment on company's Facebook page

Q) Please tell me which of the following ways you communicate with BRANDS or COMPANIES in your social network (Select all that apply)

• Nearly half of Social Networkers indicated they had posted a comment on

a company’s Facebook page and nearly as many indicated they read a

company blog

• But even companies without a Social Media presence could not hide; A

third of respondents made a brand or product related post on their own

Facebook page


Social Networkers give mixed reviews on companies’

management of their social presence

Q) Please give me an example of when you have used social media to comment or complain about a company or product. Also, tell me if the

company responded. (Verbatims)

• “I actually had a really lousy experience at 1 Panera Bread restaurant (they're usually GREAT). I posted

something at THEIR SITE..got a gift certificate”

• “I commented on Nabisco's facebook page about how wonderful the 100 calorie packs are and they sent me a

coupon for a package for free”

• “Had a couple problems with my new dishwasher. I called the 1-800 # and they blew me off so I made contact

through facebook page and they responded and fixed the problem. I guess they didn't want to get a bad

reputation“

• “I comment of the lands end FB page about a slow order and they took care of me by providing me a free

shipping code for my next order”

• I had a horrible sales' experience at Best Buy and have told everyone I can think of about it. Do not plan on

going back to BB and hope to warn others about their misrepresentations to help protect other people. And, no,

Best Buy did not respond. Too big and they just don't care.

• I didn't have good results with either of the things I tried. I wanted to talk to Tide about participating in Loads of

Hope, and all they wanted was my money. I wanted to ask P&G if they were donating truckloads of Dawn to the

Gulf, but got no reply.

• Some companies appear to be responding by giving something in return for

a complaint such as coupons, free shipping or simple problem resolution.

• But those who don’t appear to be paying a price


Social networking is changing the way consumers gather brand and product information…

3%

10%

12%

19%

38%

81%

86%

91%

88%

62%

37%

28%

25%

0%

88%

85%

47%

20%

12%

11%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other

Twitter search

Follow them on Twitter

Company blog

Company Facebook page

Company website

Search engine

Total

I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on

Facebook

I currently follow products or companies on

Twitter

Q) When you are looking for information on a brand, product, or company, what tools do you use? (Select all that apply)

• While more participants indicated they look for brand or product

information via a search engine or on a company’s website than other

online outlets, those who follow products/companies on Facebook (47%)

and Twitter (62%) leveraged company Facebook pages for info more than

those who don’t

• A quarter of participants who follow a company via Twitter did either a Twitter

search (25%) or added the company of interest to those they follow (28%)


…and consumers have conversations with those brands

12%

13%

30%

32%

37%

65%

25%

25%

19%

46%

47%

68%

12%

15%

27%

40%

45%

63%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Tweet about it

Blog about it

Another method

Facebook post on the brand, product or company

page

Facebook post to your own page

Comment or suggestion page of the brand,

product or company website

Total


Facebook


Twitter

Q) Similarly, when you have a comment or a complaint to share about a brand, product, or company where do you direct it?

• While more participants indicated they directed comments to the

suggestion page of a company’s website than any other online

outlet, participants who are also followers of a product/company on

Facebook or Twitter consistently expressed a willingness to leverage

additional online outlets across the board

• from posting on their own page, or the company’s page, to “tweeting”

about it and even blogging


Social Networkers expect something in return

for their interaction with companies• 60% of participants indicated coupons and discounts would be their primary

motivation for “following” a retailer on Facebook

• A fifth of participants indicated they checked Facebook, blogs, or twitter

streams for deals, pricing or coupons prior to shopping “all the time” or

“frequently”

Q) What tools would you like products, brands, companies or individuals to make available on their websites or blogs for you to either follow

them or redistribute their content easily? (Select all that apply)

Q) How often do you check Facebook, Blogs or Twitter feeds for deals, pricing or coupons from companies before shopping?

Motivations for "Following" a Retailer on Facebook

Multi-

select

Primary

Reason

1 For coupons or discounts 86% 60%

2

Getting early or exclusive

information 58% 16%

3

The ability to view unbiased

feedback 39% 12%

4 To give unbiased feedback 26% 5%

5

To participate in a particular

service or program 26% 4%

6 Another reason 4% 3%

5%

16%

32%

22%24%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

All the time Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never


Smartphones will grow in their influence on social interaction

Q) How much of a factor was social media access in selecting your current mobile phone? (choose one)

Q) Thinking about your NEXT mobile phone purchase, how important will social media be in selecting that phone? (choose one)

Present phone Next phone

• 8% of participants reported that social media access was a “primary

reason” for their current cell phone, but 16% reported it would be a

“primary reason” for their next purchase

• 27% reported that social media access was a “nice bonus” of their

current phone. Again that number grew to 46% when participants

were asked about future mobile purchases


The willingness to use a mobile phone as social media platform is heavily impacted by age

Q) Please select which social networking activities you do not currently use on your mobile phone but would be interested in using in the FUTURE.

(Select all that apply)

Age 50+, 78%

Age 45-49, 43%

Age 40-44, 59%

Age 35-39, 50%

Age 30-34, 31%

Age 24-29, 28%

Age 18-24, 32%

Total, 48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

I don't use my mobile phone

for social networking

• 78% of participants age 50+, and approximately half of participants

ages 35-49 indicated they did not want to use their cell phone for

social media, suggesting that the appeal of mobile access may be

influenced by those who are digital natives vs. digital adopters

• Participants ages 45-49, potentially the parents of younger cell phone

users, were more willing than their older and younger peers to use

their cell phone for social networking


Many of the same activities are expected to be delivered via a Smartphone

Q) Please select which social networking activities you would BE interested in using your mobile phone to do in the future if you could. (Select all

that apply)

• Checking and posting updates and posting pictures are the activities

most desirable from a Smartphone

• While still many indicated they would be interested in either buying

directly or receiving “deal” information on their phone


Social media in the future - as monumental as the

invention of the telephone?

• “we may not need our mailboxes outside our houses anymore”

• “I think it will be big, it will be like the invention of the telephone.”

• “I think social media will become the norm in the next 5 years.”

• “I think it will become more polished like web pages are today. We're just tipping our toes in what can be done in

the future.”

• “It'll probably be the main way the people communicate. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet though.”

• “It will dominate our time and drive our social lives”

• “EVERYONE will be on some kind of social media-it's the latest craze and will become more simplified to use in the

future.”

• “its going to be a great social adventure .however people need to balance it a little”

• “More and more features will be offered on the mobile side - in cell phones, in automobiles, other hand held

devices. Home use will move more to wireless devices and also interface fully with our mobile media.”

Q) Where do you see social media going in the next two to five years?

• Participants envisioned a range of future possibilities for social

media, but some of the universal expectations were:

• It would grow in popularity and become even more central to the way

people communicate with each other and with companies

• As social media evolves beyond its infancy, the medium will inevitably

become more polished, simpler to use and offer more features all of

which will further ingrain it into the culture


• “Getting bigger and bigger. Advertisers, I think, are just starting to realize what a great tool it is -- particularly when you have a very specific target market.”

• “I expect social media to be just as popular for networking with friends and I expect more companies to communicate with customers on facebook and offer free products/discounts.”

• “I can see purchases being made at great discounts through retailers. Continued ways of staying in touch with friends through all sorts of portable devices.”

• “It will far surpass any other kind of advertising - print, etc because everyone is online. More and more are going online to do just about everything. It is becoming easier to go online and with more vehicles to do so. As the older non-techie Americans die off, and this young crop grows, everyone will be online.”

• “I think it will become more important all the time. Everything moves so fast, if retailers don't keep up with mew media, they will lose in the marketplace. Look at newspapers and magazines - they're dying, thanks to the Internet.”

The medium lends itself to brand-initiated, consumer-

oriented conversation

Q) Where do you see social media going in the next two to five years?

• Generally, participants expected brands to move more into social media

because increasingly, that is where consumers can more reliably,

continuously and personally be reached vs. other media

• Others cited the opportunity the medium affords for brands to target and

engage niche consumers on their own terms and when they have

demonstrated interest


• “I see social media becoming more personalized. Via social media companies will be able to promote to people who like and use their services."

• "Yes it is because it gives consumers more of a medium to let their own voice and opinion be heard."

• "yes social media is a better way for communication as we move toward a global community it's the way people from one country can communicate with others"

• "It is becoming a better medium because more and more people are using social media and leaving more traditional media behind"

• "This is a better means of communication because the brands, products and companies post access to special deals, promotions, discounts and coupons. You don't really see all of those things at once on TV."

• "It allows them to connect with the consumers at a different level and to also give those that are loyal to their brand advanced notice of things as well as special discounts and offers. It's definitely a good way to promote brand loyalty."

• "Possibly, because this offers the chance to dialogue in an open way and to interact with the advertisers. To ask questions, be heard, be taken into account, to be acknowledged. It will help companies to become more transparent and down-to earth, more approachable"

Users’ ability to customize their social media world

makes it an ideal forum for brands

Q) Is social media a better medium for brands, products and companies to communicate their value to you as a consumer than traditional media?

Why or why not?

• The social networker can decide on what terms, when and to what degree

to engage with brands ( to merely “pull” information or to share their own

feedback/opinion) making those communications ultimately more

effective, impactful and satisfying

• Social media then offers brands the ability to connect (or “push”) with

more personalized offers and tailored information which incorporates

feedback and is more like a dialog with those consumers


• “Not really. In social media you have to search for it. In tv ads it is just put in front of you whether you were

looking for it or not.”

• “Not really, because they either ignore what you have to say, or never respond, as to talking to them face to

face, it'd be hard for them to ignore you or not respond.”

• “i don't think so. i don't exclusively look up information about brands from social media anyway.”

• “No. I'd rather hear about these companies and promotions through tv. I use the sites to stay in touch with

friends and family, not for companies and more advertising.”

• “no don't like all the advertising, check their website if interested”

• “social media is not a better medium though beneficial since i don't like to find such information via such means.

i prefer social media for personal interactions, not media driven.”

• “no i use a social network to relax and get away from ads and companies not to be followed there by them too”

• In my personal case, no value as I don't follow or care to follow brands/products/companies via social

networking...get the term "social" networking?

However, a few questioned the appropriateness of brand

messaging in “social” media


Why or why not?

• A few participants reiterated that their main objective in using social media

was to connect with family and friends and not with companies; evidence

that the reach of brand messaging remains bound by user interest level

• Other concerns centered around responsiveness and the pull nature of

social media vs. the push nature of traditional media; an aspect more

participants cited as a strength of the medium


• “Yes and no. Communicating through social media is a great way to sell. but don't lose the fact that face to face contact w/ customers also helps a relationship grow as well. I hear so often that customer service no longer exists.”

• “I really Believe That Both ways would help them find more customers”

• “i have mixed feeling about that, cause sometimes they go overboard and run up posts or flood your feeds with too much updates and their is nothing you can do unless you unfollow or delete them which sucks if you value them as a company, but then again being in touch with them this way seems more one on one.”

• “it's equal. consumers need to do their homework whenever they want to stay informed, social media is just another tool”

• “social networking is just an "extra" way to get people be awared of the products offer by companies. It is a good medium; however, the company will need to do more than posting on facebook and other social networking sites. Continue with tv ads, circulars, email, mailing, etc”

• “The ideal use for a company would be as a supplement to what already exists. The company should try to present some kind of "carrot" to ensure repeat visits from consumers.”

• “I don't know if it's better--but it's a must, nowadays. Any buisness which doesn;t use it, is not doing all they can to reach as many people as possible”

While others viewed social media as a supplementary

channel for brand information


Why or why not?

• Still other participants viewed social media as a supplementary to,

not as an outright replacement for traditional modes of brand

communication


Appendix


Age

18%

12%

15%

16%

15%

15%

9%

12%

22%

21%

14%

12%

9%

9%

8%

18%

18%

18%

17%

8%

13%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

50+

45-49

40-44

35-39

30-34

25-29

18-24

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) Age


Gender

61%

39%

41%

59%

35%

65%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Female

Male

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) Gender


Education

0%

14%

7%

32%

32%

14%

1%

2%

10%

29%

36%

3%

20%

0%

1%

12%

31%

32%

8%

15%

0%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Prefer not to answer

Graduate or professional

degree

Vocational/technical

school

4-year college degree

Some college, no degree

High school graduate or

equivalent

Some high school

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) What is the highest level of education you have completed?


Income

2%

12%

16%

26%

26%

18%

11%

26%

24%

19%

16%

4%

16%

29%

21%

17%

15%

3%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Prefer not to answer

$100,000 or more

$75,000 - $99,999

$50,000 - $74,999

$25,000 - $49,999

Under $25,000

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) Which of the following best describes your total annual household income?


Kids in Household

45%

55%

70%

30%

61%

39%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Without Kids

With Kids

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) Kids in Household


Marital status

1%

8%

12%

55%

24%

28%

58%

10%

4%

0%

24%

57%

13%

6%

1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Widowed

Divorced or separated

Living with someone,

not married

Married

Single

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) What is your marital status?


Frequency of social networking activity

0%

11%

40%

35%

14%

24%

45%

28%

3%

0%

18%

41%

34%

6%

0%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

At least once a week

Every few days

At least once a day

Every few hours

Hourly

Total


Facebook (203)


Twitter (97)

Q) Please select how frequently you do at least one of the following:

o Log into Facebook, Linked-in, or other social networking site

o Check for new tweets from people you follow or to tweet yourself

o Participate in a branded online community

o Read or comment on a blog

o Write your own blog


Frequency of Facebook checks for friend updates

0%

12%

39%

36%

12%

22%

46%

29%

3%

0%

15%

41%

35%

9%

0%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

At least once a week

Every few days

At least once a day

Every few hours

Hourly

Total


Facebook (195)


Twitter (87)

Q) How frequently do you check Facebook for friends' updates or to update your own status?


Number of Facebook friends

24%

24%

29%

23%

0%

0%

0%

0%

13%

31%

25%

31%

0%

0%

18%

29%

27%

27%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

200+

100-200

51-100

26-50

11-25

1-10

Total


Facebook (195)


Twitter (87)

Q) Approximately how many friends do you have on Facebook?


Access Mode

15%

15%

8%

61%

42%

2%

24%

32%

55%

6%

18%

21%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

All Access Modes

One computer plus

phone

Home and Work

Computer

Home computer only

Total


Facebook (202)


Twitter (97)

Q) Access Mode


Active Accounts

10%

80%

10%

Facebook only

Facebook Plus

Non-Facebook

Q) Account types


Social Networking Activity Level

70%

0%

30%

I expect my current level of activity to remain the

same

I expect my current level of activity to decline

I expect my current level of activity to increase

Q) Please select the statement below that most accurately describe your view of future participation with social networking sites (such as Facebook,

Linked-in, Twitter), online communities, or blogs.

Invoke Live: Social Networking - JUL2010 (Invoke)

Business

Transcript of Invoke Live: Social Networking - JUL2010 (Invoke)