• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer, September 28, 2016

Facebook is betting big on video, both as a way to boost user engagement and enable brands to connect with consumers, and these bets appear to be paying off, judging by the results of a new Kantar/TNS global survey of 70,000 Internet users ages 16 and up, which showed a large majority are receptive to brand videos. However, Kantar/TNS also cautioned that brands are failing to live up to user expectations online in areas like customer service, which could led them to disconnect from brands in the long run.

Worldwide, 75% of respondents watch videos from brands on Facebook, while 79% of respondents said they read brand posts on the social network, and 72% said they follow brands. Further, 76% said they like or comment on brand pages on Facebook. It’s worth noting that these are global averages with a wide distribution around the mean: for example, 92% of respondents in Hong Kong said they watch brand videos on Facebook, compared to just 53% in Hungary.

While these figures suggest brands are succeeding in reaching consumers with video on social media, Kantar/TNS also found that marketers are establishing expectations for brands online that they – or other parts of their organization – may not be able to fulfill.

On that note, there’s no question that in addition to entertainment and research, consumers have come to view social media as a channel for customer service. Here, 57% of respondents said they have asked a question about a brand on the brand’s Facebook page, and 47% said they have complained about a brand on its Facebook page.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are getting satisfactory responses, and dissatisfaction with social media customer service is actually higher among younger users: 36% of respondents ages 16-24 believe brands have different levels of customer service between online and offline channels, with the online channels lagging behind – a higher proportion than older age groups.

Kantar/TNS also uncovered significant variations within groups often viewed as being largely homogenous. For example, among U.S. respondents ages 16-24 (widely viewed as diehard social media users) Kantar/TNS found that 14% are “functional” users, who are “noticeably less engaged with digital platforms in general and see social media as a channel or transactions rather than entertainment.”

Targeting these kinds of users with video content may be futile, Kantar/TNS noted, but their habits still provide opportunities for marketers, like “making intuitive suggestions for their next purchase.”