So I have a question for all of you. Everyone (and by everyone, I mean social media gurus/experts/mavens) has been saying that companies and brands need to be involved in social media. And there are plenty of examples of brands on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., that have plenty of friends, fans (soon to be changed to “like,” so “likers”?), and followers. And plenty of brands have blogs that people subscribe to and read on a regular basis.
We know that people are friending, fanning/liking, following and subscribing in these places. We know people are commenting, posting, tweeting, viewing and reading in these places as well. What I want to know is why you, as a human being on the internet, have decided to follow a brand on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or subscribe to a brand’s blog, Flickr stream, YouTube channel, or other channel? Why?
A brief example: my relationship with Nau
I purchased a jacket from Nau during their first going-out-of-business sale. I respected what Nau was doing from a business standpoint, and the jacket was totally worth the 60% off price. Now I follow them on Twitter because I like their sense of style, and am a fan on Facebook (which I think I did because there was some contest and you had to be a fan to win), and I subscribe to their blog because they write interesting stuff. But just because I follow them and I’m a fan, it certainly doesn’t mean I’m buying their products all the time. In fact, I use their communication channels to learn about sales, where I still can’t afford their products. But I like them, as a company, and they’re in Portland, which I like since I’m also in Portland.
Why I’m a fan, follower, and subscribed to Nau:
- I like their products (but I’ve only purchased one jacket)
- I like their philosophy
- I want to feel a part of the Nau “tribe” through association
- I like discounts and coupons
- I like winning stuff
- I haven’t unfollowed/un-fanned/unsubscribed yet, even though I get a lot of the same content across all channels
p.s. I have not received any financial compensation or products from Nau for using them as an example. Though if they’d like to send me an Asylum Jacket, I wouldn’t say no (I’m a size medium, just in case).
So why do you friend, fan, like, follow and/or subscribe to certain brands? Leave your response as a comment here on the site, tweet your answer to @Substance on Twitter, leave your response as a comment on our Facebook page, or email it to us at why@findsubstance.com. We’ll be compiling all the responses and posting the results, so the more responses/answers we get, the better the data we can give back to you. Share this, retweet it… you know what you’re doing.
UPDATE: Can’t believe we forgot to put this on here, but if you DON’T follow brands/companies on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., why not?
Thanks in advance for your responses to get beyond the correlation (what people are doing – friending, following, becoming fans, and subscribing) and find out the causation (why they’re doing it).
For me, it comes down to the worldview you have and the online persona you are trying to create. The brands that you “Fan” or “Like” say a a lot about you as a person when you have a visible network. For me, sometimes I “Fan” brands that I have never bought anything from, but maybe someday I aspire to. Sometimes I “Fan” or “Like” the efforts of others, because I get what they are about, and I want to see them succeed. Which reminds me, I need make sure I am a Fan of the Substance page.
1:55 pm / 31 March 2010
(1) I am a consumer or user of the brand, product, company, organization, artist, group, etc. and want to be the first to know about new products, promos, upcoming concerts, events, etc. Sometimes it’s because I’m a brand loyalist and sometimes it’s because something new caught me eye and I’m exploring.
(2) As an advertising/marketing geek, I follow some on facebook or twitter to see what they are are doing as advertisers/marketers — successfully or not. I doubt that grand insight is helpful to your needs here, but that’s true.
(3) On Twitter I am likely to follow companies or people that I think I’ll learn something from — perhaps a nugget of wisdom or a gem of inspiration. I haven’t found that richness on facebook.
I am humored by your thoughts on Nau. I loved the Nau brand when they launched — what they aspired to do from a marketing and product development perspective, as well as the clean urban look — but my first purchase wasn’t until the online fire sale. I bought a jacket that remains one of my all time favorites. I haven’t purchase anything else, since. Knowing the business side of the brand — not intimately, but through hearsay, rumor, innuendo, and clips in the Oregonian, Business Journal, WillyWeek, etc. — that all peeled the warm and fuzzy off the brand for me. I still like the brand, but it no longer feels authentic. Now I admire Nau as I do any nicely designed and marketed product line from a product manufacturer. Sidenote: I get a much stronger “authentic” vibe from KEEN these days. I just wish they had a product that I would like to wear.
3:24 pm / 31 March 2010
Too much for 140 characters…
I follow organizations I want to hear from and that engage with their customers. So, mostly local restaurants, pubs, and a few consumer goods brands. They tell us about new things in their shops, answer questions, and maybe provide discounts or specials just for their Twitter followers. I expect that they actively listen to and engage with their audience, and that it’s a discussion not just a promotional channel.
On Facebook, I’m a fan of organizations I believe in. That might be John Stewart, or 1,000,000 Strong For Gay Marriage, or a local brewery. These are badges of affiliation, and I don’t expect to have regular contact or discussion with those groups. I may also follow them on Twitter if I want to hear from them more regularly.
I’ll subscribe to a brand or organization’s blog if I feel they’re adding something to the greater conversation about their industry, services, place in the world, or say something I feel is of personal benefit. I’m looking for deeper insights and ideas, and possibly data to back it up. I also enjoy the discussions in the blog comments.
Believing in a brand isn’t the same as buying a product from them, or engaging their services, or giving them money in any direct way. But if I have access to their thinking, their people, a conversation, I may be more likely to be a real advocate for their cause/brand/organization. And maybe I’ll save up for that fancy Nau jacket.
I’m interesting in hearing about the results of your inquiry!
3:29 pm / 31 March 2010
Thanks Thomas for your inisights. And yes, you should make sure you’re a fan of Substance (and you don’t even need to feel the need to do it through Facebook… real fans don’t need the marker).
Jim, thanks for your comment as well. To be honest, I think most of my brand impressions of Nau were from their first life (pre- Horny Toad). I didn’t read much of the coverage/fallout after their first demise, so the brand, for me, is probably less tarnished than it is for you. I bought my jacket in that same fire sale, and it’s one of my favorites as well, but like you, I haven’t purchased anything since. I have 2 pairs of Keens (some sandals and some mocs) and I wear the mocs as my “weekend shoes.” They’re super comfortable (I also follow them on Twitter). And while I’m aware of their brand voice, I bought the shoes from a practical and comfort perspective before I knew much about the brand.
3:32 pm / 31 March 2010
I follow people/brands for a couple of reasons. On Twitter it has a lot to do with either local information I find of high quality and also has to do with non-local idea driven tweeting that I also think is useful. I will usually follow someone for a week or two and if I don’t find myself clicking on their links regularly I quit following them.
I think the other reason I follow, or reasons I don’t follow certain organizations can have a lot to do with self-identity. Do I want to be associated with that brand? Will someone read into it too much? For instance I might enjoy a certain TV show, but maybe I don’t want to give it focus on a Facebook page which reads a quick summary of who are you and what do you care about.
As for online communities that aren’t so public, I joined one today for the first time. I joined Acumen Fund’s online community because I believe that what they are doing in the world today is TRULY innovative and life changing(read the Blue Sweater). I would be lucky to achieve half as much in my life as their founder has done and I have a deep admiration and respect for someone who makes great sacrifices for the greater good.
Some of the reasons are very simple, and others are chosen because they reflect my worldview. The reasons I don’t follow certain brands (unless it’s research) is because some can feel a little over the top or excessive.
10:30 pm / 31 March 2010
This is quite the knotty question.. But first, those “everyone’s” who say that companies need to be involved in the topsy turvy world of social media, need to explain themselves – simply tell us very clearly, why, given that all companies will have differing brand needs, a business should embrace social media? Social media tools should only be used tactically as part of an overall brand strategy. [This is where "social media experts" jump in and denounce my thinking..]
To your main question, why do we become a fan of a brand? Well, clearly it’s personal, as in how do we perceive that being attached to a brand represents ourselves. Becoming a fan of a brand is like wearing a branded T-shirt, joining a book club or being part of a salon – in other words being part of something that includes likeminded people. Ultimately I would expect that being a fan would fade pretty quickly unless there were some decent benefits to the follower. If there is no benefit then you are simply being an unpaid evangelist for the brand, and that might be fine for some people. At the end of the day its all marketing.
Since you brought up Nau, here’s my thoughts on their original business plan and its challenges. Nau positioned itself as a “green” company that did good by giving a piece of its income to charity. The problem for me was how could a company that manufactures clothing, however sustainable its practices, be considered “green?” As Nau’s clothing was aimed at the casual sports and outdoors person, I would have had more respect for the company’s founders and investors if they had built a truly green business model that didn’t require manufacturing anything. For instance the recycling of sports outerwear, or ensuring that sports and athletic clothing gets distributed to needy children. When I consider the snowboard apparel that I own I would guess it has a very long half-life if you know what I mean…not the sort of stuff that would degrade in a landfill.
That sort of company I could become a “fan” of.
9:33 am / 1 April 2010
-I rarely become fans of a company’s facebook page, because I consider that more of a personal, social place. It also seems like a place where little new information will come to me.
-I follow a lot of brands on twitter to get updates from them, whether that is about sales, promotions or new products. Twitter provides an outlet for a large amount of good information on a company. I also follow on Twitter because I like the personal nature of the interaction. I like the real way I have connected with and built a bit of a relationship with several companies (Duluth Pack or LL Bean for example). I like the proximity it gives me to one of their representatives (if they use it right) and the ability to give instant feedback or opinions to them. I almost always feel like my opinions have been heard by someone who matters within the company.
-I subscribe to a company’s blog mostly if it will be of benefit to me professionally to keep in touch with who they are and what they are saying. This usually means they are local as well. They have to be a company that I believe has an interesting perspective, thought process and is a leader in their industry. Or a company that possesses a skill I don’t have but admire and like learning about (Horween Leather for example). The vast majority of blogs I read are not company blogs. It is really tough to find interesting ones. So keep up the good work on this one.
10:47 am / 1 April 2010