A majority of consumers have Liked a brand on Facebook, but many prefer a company's website to its social presence.

A report from AYTM Market Research found that more than 73 percent of consumers have Liked at least one brand on Facebook. In fact, 31 percent of respondents said they have Liked 10 brands or more, while just 26.7 percent said they don’t follow a brand on the platform.

Perhaps more importantly, users who opt to Like brands typically interact with social content on a regular basis. Even with 25.5 percent saying they “never” pay attention, the overwhelming sentiment suggests that content that appeals to users is most likely to result in clicks, site traffic and eventual conversions. More than 27 percent interact with brands’ social content daily, but a majority interact weekly or monthly. Compelling content is the key for social media marketing, as even a fan is unlikely to access shared links or other content if it isn’t interesting.

Despite this interest in Facebook marketing content, 44 percent said they typically find the website of the brands they Like more useful. Developing a content marketing strategy can help organizations appeal to both ends of the spectrum. Giving site visitors regularly updated content to read drives traffic and builds a strong brand image, while it also offers fuel for sharing and can easily be distributed to social fans.

The benefits of pairing a strong Facebook presence with high-quality site content grows, even as few consumers convert directly as a result of social content. Brafton recently highlighted data from Forrester Research that found about 1 percent of conversions occur directly as a result of social media marketing. However, the channel’s value as a brand discovery tool helps push more consumers through the conversion funnel.

 

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.