Businesses can use social media networks to build online communities and drive sales. However, marketers sometimes need to take their social media campaigns to the next level and win over key industry influencers to help spread their companies’ core values. Fortunately, a new study from LinkedIn proves that social can help brands connect with affluent consumers.
According to LinkedIn’s “Influencing the Mass Affluent” study, 90 percent of the country’s affluent consumers use social media. The study classifies “mass affluent” as people who have investable assets between $100,000 and $1 million.
These consumers are increasingly engaging with financial institutions online through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Of the 90 percent of mass affluent professionals using social media, 44 percent engage financial brands online, and 34 percent engage with these institutions’ social media content.
More, LinkedIn found that mass affluent social users turn to social networks for professional reasons. According to the report, one in two affluent consumers embrace social to connect with like-minded peers, and one in three engage with branded content. Businesses can use social media to create partnerships with influential people who can help their brands thrive online. It’s important that companies use social networks to drive chatter with customers and public figures.
“Members on our platform have a value exchange and sense of trust with the platform,” LinkedIn’s Lead Executive in Financial Services Jennifer Grazel told ClickZ. “Because of that we have seen financial firms really adopt LinkedIn beyond just display advertising.”
LinkedIn’s report also noted that 36 percent of mass affluent consumers use social for discovery and consideration. The study defines this as learning about trends, products and services. Marketers can use sites like LinkedIn to tap into a pool of potential customers and influencers much different from who they socialize with via Facebook or Twitter. In fact, LinkedIn could be the key channel for developing industry-relevant partnerships to fuel brand growth, recognition and ROI. The largest professional network provides marketers with opportunities to guide traffic back to their brands’ websites and convert them through well-written custom content.
