According to a  new survey by Kentico Software, , 68% of the general public either never or hardly ever pays attention to what’s posted by the brands they Like or follow on such social networks as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and yet of the same group of respondents, only 5% report Unliking or unfollowing these brands.
When asked how many brands they tend to Like on Facebook, 39% said 1 to 10, 7% said 11 to 20, and 6% said 21 to 30. 40% don’t Like brands at all. Another 40% report Liking or following a brand on a social network, because they were already interested in the brand and want to be kept informed. 39% Like or follow brands to receive a special offer, and 12% do so because a friend recommended it. Only 8% Like or follow a brand they weren’t already familiar with offline to learn more. The most common reasons for Unliking or unfollowing a brand: uninteresting posts (32%) and too many posts (28%).
The latest Kentico survey also calls into question the return marketers can expect from their social media investments with 72% saying they never or hardly ever purchase a product after hearing about it on a social network, but 35% will buy a product based on product recommendations made using prior search or purchase history.
When it comes to the integrated marketing efforts of brands today, the general public for the most part agrees there is consistency in message across all the various marketing channels. 73% report never or hardly ever having brand encounters online that affect their previous offline perception of those brands.
“While our latest Digital Experience Survey may be bad news to some, it only reinforces our notion that the social media efforts of a company need to be measured by community engagement rather than Likes or follows,” said Kentico CEO and FounderPetr Palas. “Equally critical is content that is compelling and personalized whenever possible to maintain the interest of people who may have become somewhat impervious to the constant bombardment of various marketing messages today.”
The Kentico Digital Brand Interactions Survey is the fifth installment of an ongoing Kentico Digital Experience Research series that was kicked off last year.  Among prior survey highlights: Only 32% feel email marketing has improved over the past 5 years. 85% use smartphones to comparison shop, and 44% will never return to sites that aren’t mobile friendly. Word of mouth (28%), company websites (25%) and in-store experience (18%) weighed most heavily on strengthening or eroding brand affinity. 69% expressed an overwhelming eagerness in allowing the collection of their personal data in exchange for more customized service.