Almost six out of ten consumers (59%) think there is ‘too much’ advertising on social media, with over half (52%) describing self-promotional brand content as exhausting and a third preferring no brand content at all.
The figures, taken from Hootsuite’s latest consumer study, reveal that brand strategy on social media needs constant adjusting to keep up with how the platforms have changed.
Some 6,026 consumers were quizzed on their likes and dislikes regarding brand interactions on social media, with clickbait, repetitive content, inauthentic content and items that don’t appeal to users as the biggest reasons why brands are unfollowed or ads are hidden from feeds.
Insight into specific generations’ social media habits revealed that Baby Boomers in particular don’t want brands to post about politics, policy or religion. They prefer to be taught something new, be shown something that makes them laugh, or be inspired.
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The Hootsuite data found that most users are looking for thoughtful, intelligent and fun content from brands.
The payoff for appealing to consumers is significant, with seven in ten people who follow brands on social media having explicit plans to purchase from them, and nearly six in ten having already done so.
Users also value brands that have a relatable social presence, with compelling points of view on topics within their areas of expertise.
The research suggests that, while this varies from user to user, brands can generally find success by posting about their core area, for example, brands with sustainability at their core posting about upcycling or an athletic apparel brand posting about sports.
As more search engines move toward integrating AI, Hootsuite highlights the importance of success on social media is growing.
