As part of ExactTarget’s SUBSCRIBERS, FANS and FOLLOWERS research series, we examined the ways social media is revolutionising the marketplace in the United Kingdom. That report, The Digital Kingdom, identified SUBSCRIBERS, FANS and FOLLOWERS, their motivations for interacting with brands online, as well as their usage of and attitudes toward email, Facebook and Twitter.
The Digital Kingdom revealed that when looking at the UK population, 93% are Subscribers, 45% are Fans and 7% are Followers. When reviewing this information independently, it’s easy to think about these audiences in silos. One may be tempted to believe that the way to reach the 7% that don’t subscribe to email is through Facebook, Twitter or some other new media channel. In reality, only 2% of online consumers in the UK engage with brands through Facebook or Twitter but not through email. The remaining 5% do not engage with companies through any of these channels.
Of the 95% of consumers that do choose to engage with companies online, we find that they interact with brands online in one of two ways, either:
They adopt a layered communication strategy.
Consumers, for example, may choose to “Like” a favourite company on Facebook and subscribe to email from that company, but they expect to receive different types of communications through each channel. Channel exclusivity is important here. There must be some added benefit to become a SUBSCRIBER, FAN or FOLLOWER. It’s also important to note that while 5% of online consumers interact using all three channels, they aren’t necessarily interacting with the same brands across all three channels.
They adopt an isolated communication strategy.
In this case, consumers will keep interactions with brands isolated to a single channel where they expect to hear from brands, while keeping other online channels focused on personal communication only. Email is largely seen as a place where brands are welcome to engage consumers, while some consumers question the presence of brands on Facebook and Twitter and consciously avoid them as a result.
Download the full report here.
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