Content marketers are constantly searching for new insights to better their social media marketing campaigns, which is why recent research led by Emilio Ferrara, a post-doctoral fellow at Indiana University, is helpful and relevant. Mashable reported Ferrara’s team used the Label Propagation Algorithm – a formula that can process information from sites such as Facebook and Twitter – to determine that Facebook connections run deeper than those on Twitter.
Not only does Ferrara’s research provide important insights to marketers, but his project shows the proliferation of social media into graduate study. Social media isn’t just for teenagers and computer-savvy 20-somethings – it’s a growing and ever-changing trend worthy of brands’ time and resource.
According to the news source, Twitter followers are much more likely to be acquaintances than friends on Facebook. Because information on Twitter can be given out with little interaction, the amount of direct communication that goes on is much less substantial. The strength of weak ties – a theory that says friends of friends give people the most information – was proven in the study.
“We discovered that the average degree of communities and their size put into evidence the tendency to self-organization of users into small- or medium-size communities well-connected among each other,” said the report.
Content marketers should spread information on multiple social media platforms to create brand awareness and generate leads. They should also keep in mind that Facebook may present the best opportunity to create deep connections that keep loyal customers close. Brafton recently reported that customer satisfaction drives conversions, showing the need for deep relationships that keep customers well connected and in-tune with brands.
