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Brand Facebook Pages are More Important to Consumers Than Websites

By September 25, 2012 Inbound Marketing, Social Media

Still not convinced you need to include Facebook in your marketing strategy? Well, I have even more proof.

A recent study by market research company, Lab42, found that half of all consumers find a company Facebook page more useful than a website (full results below).

Why consumers prefer a Facebook page to a website

The study doesn’t say why consumers prefer Facebook pages, but I have a few thoughts.

Trustworthy

Facebook gives consumers the ability to quickly interact with brands in an environment they trust. Most consumers are familiar with the platform and feel comfortable with the set up and terminology. They can message a brand or write on their wall without having to fill out forms or hand over any contact information. They can also see what real people are saying about the brand.

Easy to find content

Aside from apps, all Facebook pages have the same layout. Rather than searching through an unfamiliar website that could have a confusing layout, consumers can go to any Facebook page and find all the information they need in the same place. Plus, any updates by a page are time-stamped, so consumers can easily tell what content is outdated.

Freebee’s and promotions

Finally, Facebook pages frequently have contests and giveaways. As the study points out, the two biggest motivators behind consumers choosing to like a brand on Facebook are promotions/discounts and free giveaways.

So, unless your brand falls into the category of things-I’m-embarrassed-to-admit-I-like (and maybe even then), you need to include Facebook in your marketing strategy.

Keeping them coming back for more

There are several reasons for a consumer to turn to Facebook for information on a brand and even to like the brand, but it’s not all rainbows and unicorns from there. As the study points out, while 87% of people like brands on Facebook, 73% have unliked brands. And the top reason – brands posting too frequently.

It’s a tricky situation for brands because if you don’t post on your page, it will appear stale. But, if you post too frequently, you risk losing fans. So how do you avoid posting too frequently? Unfortunately, there’s no magic number. For some companies, once a week might be perfect, while others might be best closer to 10 posts a week. The best advice is to keep all post highly engaging. Focus on promotions, giveaways, and content your followers would be likely to share with their friends. If your followers value the content you post, they won’t view it as spam and will continue to follow you regardless of how frequently you post.

Have your own ideas about why so many consumers prefer Facebook pages to company websites? Let us know in the comments!

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