Have you unfollowed someone on Facebook? Twitter?
If so, why?
In today’s noisy internet world, drinking from the firehouse of information focuses us. We are now becoming more selective in what we now, read and view.
Indeed, consumers show interest in connecting with brands online. Nearly 60 percent of them are willing to like or follow a brand on social media. However, people like to keep their social profiles well-siloed and use different networks for different interests.
So when someone unfollows you or your brand, you lose the opportunity to market to them, to connect with them in a trustworthy way. Fractl and Buzzstream surveyed 900 social media users to find out why users unfollow, and what behaviors companies should avoid.
QUALITY CONTENT
The quality dance keeps us mindful of what content we produce. Social Media is constantly changing and we must change with the times. A good example of this is photos vs. videos. While more and more brands are producing quality photos, not many are producing videos at all.
The larger brands with bigger marketing budgets can afford this. However, with YouTube and it’s free editing and music resources, you can produce some great videos for you and your brand. Why then do more people not do it?
FEAR…Video is intimidating for most. It’s something new to learn and who has time for that…right?
Yet that little difference allows you to stand out from your competition. It doesn’t take much in light of the fact most of your competition are probably not doing this things. Especially in the small business arena.
In the next year or so, video will overtake photos as the #1 engagement media for social media marketing.
BORING
For those of us who produce content, we must satisfy the needs of the consumer. Easier said than done.
- 21% of survey participants said they unfollow brands that post repetitive or boring content.
- 19% say they would unfollow a brand on Facebook if the brand posted too often – more than six times a day.
- Other activities that cause users to unfollow are offensive activity by brands, and content unrelated to the brand.
When brands aren’t meeting the needs of the consumer, they’re often the first pages to get unfollowed.
Remember when you received your first email…how excited you were about this new technology? How’s that same enthusiasm working for you today?
These same issues plague email marketing.
- 24% unsubscribe because of repetitive/boring posts.
- 28% unsubscribe to rid their inbox of clutter.
- 33% unsubscribe because they receive emails too frequently.
Which of These Email Marketing Stats Scare You Most?
1. 21% of email recipients report email as Spam, even if they know it isn’t
2. 43% of email recipients click the Spam button based on the email “from” name or email address
3. 69% of email recipients report email as Spam based solely on the subject line
4. 84% of people 18-34 use an email preview pane
5. People who buy products marketed through email spend 138% more than people that do not receive email offers
6. 44% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email
7. 35% of business professionals check email on a mobile device
LinkedIn seems to be the best social media platform for the least amount of unfollows. LinkedIn in the eyes of many is considered the most professional of all the social media sites.
- 49% say they never unfollow brands
SUMMARY
The solution is to understand that consumers want to connect with brands based on various interests. The marketers who know how to turn social data into customer interest profiles will fare best when it comes to maintaining strong social connections with consumers.
Unfortunately, most unfollows go unnoticed by brand pages, other than the decrease in follower numbers. Almost 60 percent of Twitter and Facebook users simply unfollow brands silently and less than 20 percent hide the posts. Around 10 percent of those who unfollow will instruct their friends to also unfollow, and around 10 percent will post a status update reflecting the change.
To find out what kind of content users want to see, what they don’t want to see, and how many users never unfollow brands, check out the infographic below.
JOIN US FOR OUR UPCOMING SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR SERIES
1. Google My Business – Better Search Results in Google! Jan. 21st
2. Visuals for Business – How to use visuals Feb. 4th
3. Facebook Ads – How to create, implement & gain sales Feb. 18th
4. Social Media Marketing for Realtors Feb. 25th
5. Tools & Apps for Business – Gain more hours. Mar. 4th
6. YouTube & Video – Business Branding Mar. 18th
7. Blogging – Generate leads & get new customers Mar. 25th
8. Twitter for Business – The fastest way to spread content Apr. 29th
About Blair
Blair Evan Ball is a Social Media Coach and founder of Prepare1, a company that works with businesses, individuals and non-profits. He is a former executive with a Fortune 50 company, and his national division did $1Billion+ in sales annually.
Blair has written three e-books: Facebook for Business Made Easy, Facebook Pages for Business Made Easy, and WordPress Blog Setup Made Easy.
Blair also educates, trains entrepreneurs and business professionals how to amplify their brand, increase revenues, and raise more funds.
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