Why do consumers disengage with a brand?

‘The Social Break-up’ is 8^th of the research series by ExactTarget. The findings are based on the U.S. market however can be implied even to the Indian market. The methodology used for the research is focus groups and online surveys.

The research focuses on 3 channels: Email, Facebook, and Twitter and what makes a consumer disengage with a brand. Some key points below –

Email

When compared to a Facebook username or a Twitter handle, Emails are considered to be more personal in nature. Thus, when brands interact with their customers via emails, it is necessary for them to remember to not cross the line.

• 77% of online consumers say they’ve become more cautious about giving companies their email address over the past year.
• Consumers  are reading your emails. They are also judging you for it.
• Brands should send highly targeted, personalized messages rather than vague, mass messages
• Send relevant messages.
• Two-thirds of consumers formally unsubscribe using the unsubscribe links in a company’s email while only 8% click on the ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ button to block emails from companies they know and trust.
• 17% of subscribers only delete or ignore your emails rather than going for the ‘unsuscribe’ or ‘spam’ option
• The 8% of consumers click on ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ button if

• They don’t remember subscribing to your updates
• They have failed to unsubscrib

Facebook

What is ‘too much’ engagement on Facebook and what is ‘too less’? As marketers try to understand and find the right answer to the question, it is evident that the frequency of your posts can make or break your relationship with a consumer. Some interesting data points below -

• 63% of consumers have ‘unliked’ a brand due to excessive postings
• 38% of consumers ‘unliked’ a page because the content became monotonous.
• While 17% of consumers have ‘unliked’ a brand because they were posting too frequently.
• 26% of consumers say they liked a company because they were interested in a one-time offer.
• 24% of consumers unliked a brand because it didn’t offer enough deals
• 24% of consumers unliked a brand because the engagement was too promotional.

Twitter

Twitter as a medium is seen as two-way communication tool and brands can work the same in their favour. The users are always connected and highly active on the platform themselves. Thus, their expectations from brand are different.

• Twitter users are less likely to stop following a brand. Only 41% of Twitter users may unfollow you.
• If the content is repetitive or boring, the users are likely to unfollow you. 52% of consumers cite the same reason for unfollowing brands.
• 20% of Twitter users stopped following a company because Tweets were not of value. Thus, what you are tweeting and the content is gains importance here. It has to be relevant.
• 27% consumers have disengaged with a brand because they did not offer enough deals while 20% have disengaged because the tweets were too promotional
• 12% of people also unfollow brands when their own personal circumstances change. For example, a new mother or an expecting woman may follow a maternity advise/parenting community but unfollow them once her child is 3 years old.

You can read the full report here.