For businesses that use social media, the popularity of messages is of particular importance. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the School of Management of the University of New York in Buffalo. At first glance, there is nothing surprising in this conclusion. But in fact, this is not so, and the conclusion for many will be somewhat unexpected. After all, there is also the opinion that the benefits of sales are brought only by positive reviews, and not by popularity as such.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Marketing. In the course of the study, messages in social networks were estimated by emotional coloration (positive, neutral or negative), popularity and the ways that users interact with social media. And it turned out that it is the popularity of the message in social networks that has the greatest impact on sales.
The co-author of the study, associate professor of marketing at the School of Management at the University of New York in Buffalo Ram Bezawada notes that a neutral or even negative message in social media, provided it is popular, will have a more significant effect on sales than a positive message that did not share, without "likes" and comments.
Moreover, this is true even for those consumers who say that when making decisions about purchases, they do not pay attention to what they read in social networks.
The researchers analyzed data from a large retail company from various locations in the north of the United States. There was also a comparison of customer presence data on the company's page in social networks with shopping in the store before and after the company made efforts to promote social media.
A consumer survey was also conducted on the role that technology and social networks play for them. The study found that business messages on social networks significantly strengthen the effect of traditional television marketing and marketing using e-mail.
When marketing in social networks is combined with television, consumer spending increases 1.03%, and combined purchases - at 0.84%. In combination with marketing using e-mail, spending increases by 2.02%, and combined purchases - by 1.22%. Combined purchases mean the purchase of additional goods and services from the same company.
Ram Bezavada also notes that the conducted study leads to a clear conclusion that marketing in social networks has played a significant role and managers need to use this opportunity to interact with consumers. Creating a community and a certain fan audience has a significant impact on profits and revenues.
Many users still find it difficult to believe that social networks are not just a communication tool, but also a powerful advertising platform that largely shapes consumers' opinions about products and services. If a topic about the products and services offered by companies becomes popular in a social network, it increases the expenditure of users who might otherwise not have acquired much of what they learned from social networks.
Another thing is that for this purpose the topic should become so interesting that users would like to say something in response, put a friend or share it.
However, you can not doubt that the sales figures are influenced by other factors, and not just popularity in social networks. The research conducted does not speak about the exclusivity of social networks as a marketing tool, but about their growing importance as one of the means of promoting the company's goods and services on the market.
Based on sciencedaily.com
The article is based on materials .
Comments
Post a Comment