​A new study outlines the top reasons users Like brands on Facebook, and how it differs by company and industry.

​What compels consumers to become fans of certain brands on Facebook? This question continues to stump social media marketing teams across industries, as finding the sweet spot has been harder than expected. But a new study from Syncapse found that 78 percent of a company’s Facebook fans are currently customers of the brand’s products or services. Finding out how to acquire new Facebook fans could also impact customer acquisition rates.

Top reasons people Like brands’ Facebook Pages

Syncapse surveyed Facebook members to discover the top reasons they connect with brands on the social network, and if their decisions vary by company or industry. Interestingly, there’s not a dominant reason that consumers Like a company on Facebook – there are three equally powerful reasons:

  • 49 percent indicated it was “to support the brand I like.”
  • 42 percent cited “to get a coupon or discount.”
  • 41 percent did it “to receive regular updates from brands I like.”

The results suggest users may connect with brands for different reasons, but the majority of users Like companies they already feel associated with in some capacity. Consumers who connect for coupons likely already buy products from those brands occasionally, similar to those who add businesses to show affection and keep up to date with news content have good reason to want more information about those companies.

How does brand affinity on Facebook differ by company?

However, Facebook users don’t always Like Pages because of brand affinity – it often depends on the type of business. The Syncapse study shows that the primary reason to add Starbucks (59 percent), Victoria’s Secret (61 percent) and Target (59 percent) was to take advantage of online deals, but not for people who connect with BMW (17 percent), XBOX (28 percent) and Adidas (32 percent). Consumers associate with these companies to share personal experiences, research products and join their friends who are already following.

32 percent of consumers find new brands on popular social media networks and visit branded web pages.

Brafton reported earlier this week that users may also connect with brands via social media after discovering them through the networks they use most often. According to Forrester Research, 32 percent of consumers find new brands on popular social media networks and visit branded web pages. This could compel a high percentage of new prospects to connect with those companies via Facebook.

Overall, Facebook marketing remains a top social marketing channel for brands across industries, especially with more consumers opting-into experiences with their favorite companies online. This data should encourage any organization to ramp up its content creation efforts for Facebook as a way to generate new leads and convert customers into brand ambassadors.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.