People turn to Facebook more than any other social media platform to inform their buying decisions, suggests a new survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website. This trend occurs even though anti-Facebook sentiment, such as the #DeleteFacebook movement, continues to gain momentum.
Consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a brand they follow on Facebook (52%), than on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Reddit combined (48%).
Some digital marketing experts attribute this to Facebook’s status as the largest social network to date and its targeting algorithm.
“Facebook is a legacy social media platform that many generations go to, and the formatting of posts probably attracts those with a higher intent to purchase because it tends to feature long-form content,” said Andrew Clark, marketing strategist at Duckpin, a digital marketing agency.
Social media makes it easy for people and businesses to communicate and presents businesses with the opportunity to establish authentic connections with consumers.
As a result, 67% of people have made a purchase after seeing an advertisement on social media.
“Social media makes people feel closer to a brand, and it makes people trust a brand,” said Scott Levy, CEO of Fuel Online, an SEO and digital marketing agency. “The whole idea is not to use social media as a selling platform but to provide value to people.”
Brands should cultivate a strong social media presence by creating advertisements and connecting with influencers. This can help them increase brand awareness and attract new customers.
While social media can be a powerful marketing and sales tool, it can also be key to providing high-quality customer service, which is critical to building customer loyalty.
Most consumers interact with brands on social media by liking brands’ posts (51%), which doesn’t warrant a response.
But responding to those that leave reviews (31%), mention brands on their own profile (22%), direct message brands (20%), and tweet at brands (18%) could result in loyal customers.
“As much as social media serves as a marketing tool, it also equally serves as a customer service tool,” said Melissa Orozco, CEO of Yulu Public Relations agency in New York City.
Social media is an invaluable customer service and marketing tool; however, experts urge businesses to think critically about the platform they choose and their target audience while planning their social media strategy.
The Manifest surveyed 537 U.S. social media users.