Half of Top Web Retailers Have No Facebook Presence

MEDIAPOST NEWS

ONLINE MEDIA DAILY

With 400 million active users worldwide, it's hardly surprising that Facebook would be the best option for retailers trying to reach consumers via online social networking sites. More than half of all online shoppers use Facebook, and among those shoppers who engage in social media, 81% are on Facebook.

But according to a new study by ForeSee Results, which specializes in customer satisfaction research, only a quarter of the top 100 online retailers by sales volume have a formal Facebook presence, and another quarter have less than 10,000 fans.

"In other words, half of the top online retailers have a minimal to nonexistent Facebook presence," reads the study authored by Kevin Ertell, vice president of retail strategy at ForeSee. He suggests that this is a mistake, since far more people use social networks with retailers to learn about special offers (49%) and product information (45%) than, say, getting customer support (5%).

The findings underscore those of a social media study late last year from Razorfish, which concluded that special offers, more than "shared passions," drive engagement on social sites.

To that end, "Get a Facebook page!" exhorts ForeSee. "Make sure you have someone to monitor it and post good, timely information. Promote it to your most loyal customers through your regular communications venues (emails, ads, stores, coupons, etc.)."

Among chain retail brands, Starbucks in particular has used various promotions and deals to help make its Facebook page one of the most popular. As of Monday, it ranked No. 7 with 5.7 million fans, according to Inside Facebook's PageData site.

That doesn't mean marketers should focus on Facebook to the exclusion of other social media services. Its study, based on a survey of nearly 10,000 visitors to the 40 biggest U.S. retail sites, found 56% of shoppers at these online stores "friend," "follow" or "subscribe" to a retailer on a social networking site including Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. The video hub attracts 22% of online shoppers, MySpace, 15%; Twitter 11%, LinkedIn, 8%; and Flickr, 5%.

The best way to figure out how to market via social media, ForeSee advises, is to turn to customers themselves for guidance. "There's a lot about social media and online marketing initiatives that is really hard to figure out, but asking customers what they want from you is a great way to begin," wrote Ertell.

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