Survey: Social media for brand conversations on the rise

Cincinnati -- Americans are increasing their use of social media for discussions about favorite brands, while slowing down on face-to-face and phone conversations about product likes and dislikes, according to a report by Colloquy, the research arm of LoyaltyOne, a global provider of loyalty and marketing programs.



Social media brand recommendations have grown 4% since Colloquy conducted survey research in 2011 on the word-of-mouth habits of U.S. consumers, while face-to-face recommendations have declined 4% in that time period.



In another key finding from Colloquy’s Hashtags, Tweets and Likes, nearly half of the general population believes social networks are an inappropriate way for brands to interact with customers. But that sentiment isn't shared across the board. The research shows that 73% of the youth segment said it is appropriate.



Colloquy’s 2013 WOM study is based on a June 2013 survey conducted among a representative general population group and five other segments. The segments are affluent consumers, young adults, seniors, core women and Hispanics. Results are based on responses from 2980 U.S. survey participants.