Does Brand Loyalty Exist in Social Media? Study Says Not So Much on Facebook

Chances are your business or nonprofit organization is spending a lot of time nurturing social media relationships on Facebook and other networking sites. Are you gaining brand loyalty from these contacts?

Here’s the good news based on a new study by Lab42: 87% of the social media users surveyed like brands on Facebook. Excellent! That’s a good start. They like you – they really like you. But, just how much?

The study also shows that these “likers” are motivated by other things besides their loyalty to your brand.

The biggest motivator for liking brands are promotions and discounts (34%), followed by free giveaways (21%). Loyalty and brand trust were cited by 14% and 11% respectively. 77% of respondents who liked brands reported having saved money as a result of their likes.

Aha, not the most ideal case scenario for marketers, is it? If you’re giving things away, offering discounts, or holding contests and promotions, chances are your Facebook “likers” are not as loyal to your brand as you may have thought. Sigh.

Now, if you work for a nonprofit, you may be thinking that your organization doesn’t fall into the same situation because you are not necessarily “selling” anything. And, that may be true, unless you are actually marketing products and/or services.

However, this study warrants some testing to see what does drive people to “like” your Facebook page. Find out what makes them loyal or why they took the time to “like” your brand. Was it an advocacy issue? A discount on a fundraising event? Or, is it truly about brand trust? It’s certainly worth checking out.

Here’s an excellent infographic based on the Lab42 study.