A new study released by ExactTarget and CoTweet found the top reason for ‘un-liking’ a brand on Facebook was too many posts with 44 per cent of U.S consumers agreeing to ‘un-like’ a page if the company posted too frequently.
The study also found 38 per cent of consumers would ‘un-like’ a brand if the content was becoming repetitive or boring over time and 26 per cent said they only ‘liked’ a company to take advantage of a one-time offer.
The Social Break-Up is a body of work based on the responses of more than 1,500 consumers, which identifies how people are changing their online behaviours. It is the first of its kind — a study that sets aside theories, assumptions, and widely-held beliefs to find out how consumers want to interact with brands through Facebook and other social media.
63 per cent of respondents are likely to continue purchasing from a company even after ending their Facebook relationship. A further 51 per cent of respondents rarely visit a brand’s page after liking it.
According to Lee Hawksley, Senior Director of ExactTarget Australia, whilst the research is based on U.S. consumers it gives global insights into the way consumer deal with brands on Facebook.
“While a Facebook campaign may not abolish your sales it can potentially do serious damage to a consumer’s opinions of a brand. There is an expectation from Facebook users that marketers keep their Facebook pages fresh, interesting and to keep posts and updates to a minimum.”
“If these posts become ‘spam’, Facebook users will speak out about it and ‘un-like’ the company,” said Hawksley.
The study found the following typical fan action from Facebook users who no longer want to see a brand’s post:
- 43 per cent make the effort to go to the company’s page and unlike them.
- 38 per cent click the ‘x’ in the newsfeed to ensure those posts are no longer displayed
- 19 per cent do nothing – they ignore the posts
The Social Break-Up is the eighth research brief in ExactTarget’s and CoTweet’s Subscribers, Fans and Followers research series. The series provides exclusive insight into how consumers interact with brands online based on a series of primary focus groups, interviews and surveys.
