Fans and friends more likely to purchase

If a business doesn't have a presence on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook they risk being seen as "out of touch" while missing out on valuable word of mouth and even sales.

Not only are Facebook fans and Twitter followers apt to recommend brands they follow to others, they are also more likely to make a purchase from those brands, too. Such are the findings of a recent study of over 1,500 consumers by market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Technologies.

While 60% of Facebook users and 79% of Twitterers are more likely to recommend a brand after becoming a friend or fan, over half of Facebook users and 67% of Twitterers are more likely to purchase from brands they latch on to.

According to Josh Mendelsohn a vice president at Chadwick Martin Bailey, "Companies not actively engaging are missing a huge opportunity and are saying something to consumers - intentionally or unintentionally- about how willing they are to engage on consumers' terms".

So what do consumers think of brands that don't have a presence on social sites like Facebook or Twitter? Among older females - age 50 and over - there is an expectation that a business will have a digital presence and the perception is that those that don't are out of touch with "electronic" people.