Aussie consumers will drop brands that upset them using social media

Nearly two-thirds of Australian consumers will stop using a brand that upsets or irritates them through its social media behaviour, a new report claims.

The Pitney Bowes Software report found 83 per cent of Australian consumers have had a bad experience with social media marketing, with 34 per cent claiming to be spammed by social media marketing.

In addition, 23 per cent of people found pop-up advertisements irritating, while 14 per cent said ads or promotions for products and services had not been personally tailored to their interests.

“Unlike other channels, social media provides access to consumers’ personal lives. It opens up an ongoing, personalised dialogue with them,” Pitney Bowes general manager of Australia and New Zealand, Simon Bird, commented. “However there must be a balance between fostering ongoing relationships and being seen as a nuisance.”

The report also found 65 per cent of consumers would stop using a brand that upset or irritated them through social media activities, a significant ratio given social media is estimated to be 25 per cent of all marketing budgets this year.

Just 17 per cent said they hadn’t had a bad social media experience with a brand, and six per cent were annoyed by friends sending frequent ‘recommendations’.

The Pitney Bowes report was based on a survey of 3,000 consumers across the UK, France, Germany, Australia and the US, along with interviews with 300 senior marketing decision-makers between August and September 2012. The survey was conducted by Vanson Bourne.

The software vendor also detailed a few key steps in avoiding social media disasters including minimising social posts to four per week (plus engagement); ensuring you post original content; tailoring posts using segmentation; rewarding customer loyalty; and taking advantage of negative or positive customer feedback.

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