A New Study Shows Brands the Importance of Twitter Followers

Do you follow brands on Twitter? If so, how many – two, five or maybe ten?

Most likely, according to a recent study, if you follow a brand on Twitter, you are more likely to purchase from them.

Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey did a study on how consumers are interacting with brands on Twitter. They collected data from 1,491 consumers, ages 18 and up in January of 2011.

The study gave details on why a Twitter user follows a brand, how many brands they usually follow and how likely they are to purchase from the brand.

Here are a few of the quick facts you should know about consumer behavior on Twitter:

• Most Twitter users are selective about the brands they follow
• 1/3 of those following brands are interacting with brands on Twitter more this year than last year
• 75% of followers have never “un-followed” a brand
• People follow brands to receive exclusivity, promotions and be “in the know”

Here are the top 5 reasons for following a brand on Twitter:

• 64% say “I am a customer of the company”
• 61% say “To be the first to know information about the brand”
• 48% say “To receive discounts and promotions”
• 36% say “Gain access to exclusive content”
• 28% say “receive content/information to retweet and share with others”

It’s an interesting study indeed and one for brands to take note of. One thing that came out of the study which caught my attention, is the fact Twitter followers don’t often tweet about the brand, but rather just read the brand’s tweets. It’s definitely more of a one-sided conversation.

Here’s the study in its entirety.

Why do you follow brands on Twitter?