Social media is all the rage in the marketing world, but what do consumers really want out of “liking” or “following” your brand?While it’s true that most consumers expect to receive some sort of special offer, many—including the most active users—also want a high level of interaction.Two recent studies indicate that sales and specials continue to be the prime motivator for those who follow or like a brand online. But what’s recently come to light is that the importance of savings is followed closely by a desire to learn about new products, features or services.On average, social media power users (those with at least 500 social connections) were less interested in getting deals. Instead, they cared about new products and company culture.Whether on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, providing the deeper engagement expected by these types of users will help you truly connect with your brand advocates—leading the way for success.For more information, read eMarketer’s What Social Followers Want (PDF).Lauren Kahner | Team Leader
It seems like the casual social net worker is just breezing through brand's pages looking for a deal while the social media power users are the ones who are engaged with the brand. It's important to attract users to your community by offering relevancy, but it's even more important to have them listen, engage and come back each day. By interacting with your community, you assure that they'll be engaging with you and you'll be on their mind much longer. Stirring up a good debate or asking for feedback about your brand makes your community feel needed which turns the casual "friend" into a powerful gatekeeper to your brand.
@amy, well said. positive interactions can convert passive "friends" into happy brand advocates.