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Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Tweets
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Jun 5, 2010 - 8:28:23 AM

Two in five say they aim to influence others when they express their preferences online

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - New York, N.Y. - As of last week, Twitter's 105 million users had collectively sent 15 billion tweets. Earlier this year, Facebook reached over 400 million active users-more members than the populations of Japan, Mexico and Russia, combined. Given these numbers, it's not surprising that nearly two-thirds (64%) of online Americans use social media, and most social media users (84%) reveal information about themselves via social media channels.

Not only are many Americans sharing updates about their life (43%), what they are currently doing (36%), and places they are going (31%), many are also revealing brand, product and company preferences. Specifically, about one-quarter are revealing their dissatisfaction with companies, brands or products (26%), talking about companies, brands or products they like (23%) or giving product reviews and recommendations (19%). In fact, one-third (34%) indicate they have used social media as an outlet to rant or rave about a company, brand or product.

These are some of the findings of the Harris Poll, conducted online between April 28 and 30, 2010, among 2,131 U.S. adults ages 18 and over.

However, it's not just what people are sharing about themselves through social media; it's why they are sharing. Nearly two in five online adults (38%) say they aim to influence others when expressing their preferences online and almost half (46%) feel they can be brutally honest on the Internet.

Sharing Brand, Company or Product Recommendations via Social Media

While online Americans aged 55 and older are less likely to use social media compared to younger Americans (43% of those 55 and older, versus 78% of 18-34 year olds, 71% of 35-44 year olds and 59% of 45-54 year olds), all age groups who use social media are equally likely to share their dissatisfaction with a company, brand or product via social media (25% of those 18-34 years old, 26% of those 35-44 years old, 25% of those 45-54 years old and 29% of those aged 55 and up).

And what people say online about companies, brands and products matters. In fact, nearly half of Americans who use social media say reviews about a particular company, brand or product from friends or people they follow on social networking websites influence them either a great deal or a fair amount (45%) - the same number as Americans who say reviews in newspaper or magazine articles influence them (46%).

Younger Generations Aim to Be Heard Online

Many people who express their preferences online do so with the intention of influencing others. Nearly two in five online adults (38%) say they aim to influence others when they express their opinions online, including nearly half of 18-34 year olds (45%). In fact, it seems 18-34 year olds are less hesitant to voice their opinions, as half (51%) say they feel like they can be brutally honest on the Internet, compared to two in five of both 45-54 year olds (41%) and those 55 and up (40%). Additionally, over two in five 18-34 year olds (44%) have used social media as an outlet to rant or rave about a company, brand or product-much more so than those 55 and up (16%).

So What?

While most Americans don't reveal everything about themselves via social media, it can be a good place to start to gauge people's preferences. In fact, even though they may not reveal everything, 83% say they know that by participating in social media, they are giving up some of their privacy. With this in mind, as the social networking world continues to grow, it will be increasingly important for companies to use social networks to better understand their audience.

Despite some of the differences between younger and older Americans in their use of social media, a majority of Americans (78%) agree that what they reveal about themselves on social networking sites is just a snapshot, not a complete portrait, of who they are. Because of this, companies cannot rely on monitoring social media alone to hear their customers' voices. Rather, it is important for companies to get the 360 degree view of their target audiences through a variety of mediums, including social media sites.

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