• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 21, 2011

According to a new study by The CMO Council, in partnership with Lithium, more than 1,300 consumers and 132 senior marketers feel that social media consumers are open-minded, engaged, demanding, loyal and willing advocates for brands they love.

The research, “Variance in the Social Brand Experience,” also uncovered significant gaps between how brands and consumers approach the social media marketplace. The overarching finding was that consumers want more from brands online, including better experiences, deeper engagement with each other and the brand, reasons to participate, and rewards when they do.

But brands are missing the boat, says the report. They see the benefits of reaching out to customers through social channels, but they aren’t yet fully invested. While 52% of marketers reported they believe their brands have enjoyed greater influence thanks to their presence in social networks like Facebook, only 17% said that social media is fully meshed, aligned, and integrated into the overall marketing mix.

55% of consumers say they engage with brands through channels like Facebook and other social networks largely to learn about new products, 65% enter unique promotions or contests, or to play games offered specifically, and often exclusively, through these channels. 25% of consumers use social specifically to connect with other fans, or to 32% to share positive experiences.

Customers also have high expectations when connecting with brands through social. They expect answers within 24 hours, with only 12% willing to wait days for resolution of support issues. Increasingly, the expectation is an immediate response: 22% of consumers want instant gratification, with an additional 19% looking for resolution within hours.

The top expectation that comes with a “like” is to be eligible for exclusive offers (67%), followed by the opportunity to interact with other customers who share a consumer’s own experiences (60%). Games and contests are also big draws; 65% of consumers want to find them when making online brand connections, and 57% expect them from brands on Facebook.

Marketers believe that when a customer “likes” a brand, it is a reaction to agreeable content. They also believe brand fans are looking for news and information about the brand and its products or demonstrating their customer loyalty. There is an understanding that customers are looking for incentives or rewards, but more marketers believe that fans are looking for a way to be heard.

Considering that the overwhelming majority of consumers are looking for deals and savings, says the report, it is telling that only 43% of marketers are using their social networks to answer this consumer call. When asked to prioritize investments, special offers and promotions also place low on the list, with most marketers placing these deals as the least important investment in their mix. Instead, marketers are focusing on offline investments, search, web, and digital.

Few marketers are responding to “likes” with special savings or deals (22%), special perks, or privileges (7%). And given the customer expectation for immediate response and resolution to issues, marketers are missing an opportunity to address service and customer care by leveraging social media to provide faster handling and better customer care (4%). Most marketers are using the channel to continue conversations (31%), while many are allowing conversations to grow organically (30%) with little censoring or editing.

According to the marketers surveyed, 76% see customer communication come to their brand through email, with 55% of consumers calling in to a customer service line or contact center. These engagements are typically from customers looking for service or support (80%), with a significant portion of customers reaching out specific to an advertising, direct, or web campaign.

Among the respondent pool, 49% represent the coveted 18–34 age bracket, but 31% represent social media users over age 45, with 14% between the ages 55 and 65. On average, the consumers surveyed have 546 Facebook friends and 95 Twitter followers, and they follow 36 brands on Facebook and 61 brands on Twitter. This is an influencer group willing to put their loyalty into those brands who are building experiences to meet and exceed their social expectations.

There are significant concerns regarding an organization’s capacity to engage customers in social media as resource requirements and availability was the top concern voiced by marketers.

Almost half of marketers state that social media has increased the complexity of marketing planning and mix allocation. But an increasing number of marketers are leveraging social to gain better insights, as 55% of marketers enjoy improved customer listening, engagement, and conversations, and 55% state it has opened avenues to gather and further market insights. Another 20% even believe that social media has introduced new efficiencies and effectiveness to go-to-market strategies.

Nearly one in four marketers is simply not sure how to respond to customer “likes” online. While most marketers will respond with deeper conversation and engagement (31%) or spark further community conversation (30%), those delivering unique offers, discounts, and deals are in the minority (22%). S s

For more detailed findings and access to the complimentary PDF file, please visit with the CMO Council here.