Social media has become the number one way to connect with consumers. Over 70% of businesses rely on social media for customer engagement. Companies approach social media primarily as advertising and marketing media. But consumers don’t want to be advertised on social media. For them, it’s primarily a communications and information platform.
Key takeaways:
- Social media users expect to be in control when engaging with a brand, interact on their terms, not be force-fed by brands.
- There’s a risk of losing consumers when social engagements become too commercial.
- Social media is a two-way communication platform, unlike traditional one-way advertising communications.
“We as marketers always want to have that immediate impact, but consumers are looking to social to learn about brands and engage with them. Many businesses haven’t gotten totally comfortable with that shift.”