With technological advancement, social media is at its highest peak today. A myriad of social networking sites have made it a lot more easier for the world to connect. Those days are long gone when people met over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Now days they meet on social networking sites more often than in person.
A research conducted by the Neilson Company in association with AbsolutData states that 30 million Indians are registered on social networking sites out of which two-thirds use it on a daily basis. It is, thus, vital for a business to take notice of social media and reflect on it for brand visibility and growth. A key point in this study is that Indians spend more time on social media than they spend on emails. Where 8% spend an hour to three on email, 20% spend the same on social media.
So, what exactly do they look for when they are online?
You can see a graph below, which determines the motion of acts on social networking sites. It highlights an informative range of data on people’s way of going about on social media. Based on these statistics, a brand should develop a strategy to market their product on social networks. Only when you know what your audience is actually looking for, you can hit the bird’s eye.
With a growing number of memberships on social networking sites it is estimated that in the next six months 45,000 new Indian users will be joining in each day. This makes it vital for a brand to target these people where they are the most available and don’t feel spammed. A huge number of brands are already using this tactic and are using it very well. They have managed to engage their followers and customers and give them just what they require.
What is it that they expect from a brand?
According to this study, if people are following a brand on any of the social networking sites, they expect the brand/ product’s complete information more than anything. Then what keeps them glued are the offers, discounts, deals, freebies offered by the brand. Updates about new product, better customer service, announcements about upcoming and ongoing sales, games and fun stuff, etc come later in the queue. (Refer the graph below)
Along with social media, blogs and other forms of voice raising channels are gaining momentum. Around 40 million Indians are giving brand reviews to influence purchase decisions and 60 million Indians are using those reviews to make their purchases. This also draws attention to the fact that, a negative remark on these platforms can cost the brand a great deal.
Being present on social media creates a brand image in itself. People associate your brand with various qualities and think of you as an unconventional brand distinct from the old-school methods of approach.
Note:
The Neilsen Company in association with AbsolutData Research and Analytics conducted this study through an online survey. It was administered on people of top five metros and Tier 1 cities of India.
Source: http://www.nielsen.com
