Online marketers still are trying to figure out how to reach out to younger consumers on the social networks they frequent, but a new survey suggests they’ll need to look beyond placing conventional online ads on the networks to make it work.
A study by the Participatory Marketing Network, an industry group, and the Lubin School of Business’ Interactive and Direct Marketing Lab at Pace University found 74% of young consumers polled click on social network ads infrequently and 36% don’t click on the ads at all.
84% said they notice ads on social networks. However, only 19% said they find ads on social networks relevant. The survey results, based on a panel of 220 online consumers between the ages of 18 and 24, also determined that 62% in this age group have visited a brand or fan page on a social network but just 48% had became a fan or friend of the company or organization.
The top five reasons for joining a brand or fan group were to get new or product updates, cited by 67%; view promotions, cited by 64%, view or download music videos, cited by 41%, submit opinions, cited by 36% and connect with other customers, cited by 33%. 51% said they’d join a separate social network to manage their brand interactions.
“While our research doesn’t suggest that brands should turn away from social networks altogether, it does show that more work must be done to understand what drives participation and engagement within social networks,” says Michael Della Penna, the Participatory Marketing Group’s executive chairman. “In a tough economy, many brands are looking to social networks as a way to engage customers and prospects in active dialogue, but many are still waiting for proof that this burgeoning channel will yield measurable results.”
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