CorpComms Magazine

Six out of ten UK consumers would consider communicating with brands and companies on social media networks rather than by traditional means if they were guaranteed a speedy response, a new survey has revealed.

But almost half of those consumers who had complained to companies using social media platforms said they had either never received a response or had to wait more than 48 hours for a reply.

The online survey of more than 4,000 people, conducted on behalf of Interactive Intelligence, found that almost one third of social media users are likely or very likely to use the platform to post positive (31 per cent) or negative (32 per cent) comments about brands or companies.

With nearly 30 million Britons on Facebook, the survey indicates that as many as ten million people are willing to express an opinion on brands or companies using this social media network.

Their views hold great sway with the younger generation. Six out of ten social media users aged between 25 and 34 years old are influenced by both positive and negative online comments about a brand or company. However, 64 per cent of those aged 55 and over claimed that they are not influenced by comments on social media sites.

Dave Paulding, regional sales director for Interactive Intelligence in UK, Middle East & Africa, said: 'These strong statistics send a stark warning to those companies and brands who do not monitor the chatter on social media sites.'

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