Over half of all Australian online consumers are interacting with businesses and brands on Facebook and Twitter, according to new research, again highlighting the importance for SMBs to add these social networks into their marketing mix.
Based on a survey of 1,400 online consumers, ExactTargets’s Digital Down Under report found consumers are connecting with brands across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and email, more than ever.
Research found 55 percent of consumers interact with brands on Facebook, with 16 percent going on to make purchases after reading a marketing message, while 55 percent of consumers have followed a brand on Twitter to stay up-to-date with a company’s products and services.
Of those consumers who follow a brand on Twitter, 5 percent have made a purchase after receiving a marketing message on the medium and 50 percent of followers always read posts from their favourite businesses.
Over 96 percent subscribe to one or more email marketing programs, with 53 percent of those making a purchase after receiving an email notification.
ExactTarget has undertaken similar research in the US and UK, and found: “Australians are among the most actively engaged consumers on email, Facebook and Twitter that we’ve surveyed,” ExactTarget’s chief marketing officer Tim Kopp said.
Key comparisons include the fact that 71 percent of Australian consumers check their emails first thing in the morning, compared to 58 percent of consumers in the US.
Some 46 percent of Australian consumers engage with brands on Facebook to receive a discount, compared to 52 percent in the UK.
