4 charts that show how social media drives sales relationships

Needless to say, I am of the opinion social media and sales are not mutually exclusive.  But my opinion aside, take a look at 4 charts that make the point convincingly.
CHART #1 (FACEBOOK):
The top reasons people press the “Like” button on Facebook is to have a sales relationship with a brand – either to receive promotions, coupons, stay informed and show their support for companies.  In other words, when consumers are on Facebook, what we are saying to brands is “talk to me because if I like what you do for me, I’m going to be your biggest fan.”
This chart comes courtesy of Ann Handley and Marketing Profs.

CHART #2 (TWITTER):
How does Twitter drive sales?  For over 40% of the time people are on Twitter, we spend it learning about products and services, listening to what others have to say and giving opinions.  That explains why over 20% of the time we’re on Twitter, we’re ready and willing to buy directly off Twitter.  We’re also seeking customer support for another 20% of the time to show it’s not just sales, or a good deal we want, but a relationship.

CHART #3 (SOCIAL NETWORKS)
For every hour we spend on online, we spend the most amount of time on social networks, almost 15 minutes of every hour.
Roughly half of the time (approx 6+ mins), we are seeking out products and services and looking to have a sales relationship with brands.  Even if all other sectors worked as effectively 100% of the time (which of course they don’t), none present the same opportunity as social media.  It would be fair to say if you want to build a sales relationship on the internet, social media is the best place to do it.

CHART #4 (THE FUTURE)
This sales relationship dynamic is going to increase.  Because of all the outlets online, the time people spend on social networks is growing  in leaps and bounds (>40%), while other sectors are relatively flat or declining (+10% to -28%).

These last two chart come from Jeff Bullas and his recent post, Latest Research Shows Social Media Usage Up 43%.  Thank you Jeff.
If you need proof from real life examples, here are 67 Case Studies that Prove Social Media ROI.
What do these charts tell you?

23 Comments

    1. Rob Petersen

      Hi (from across the pond), Thanks very much for this pingback. I really enjoyed reading your blog and this post. All the best. Rob

    1. Rob Petersen

      Thanks for this pingback. I enjoyed your post and appreciate being included in it. Rob

  1. Prasant N

    If we compare the two charts FB and Twitter, its quite clear that these are two different social media tools and we should not mix them. as in FB 40% look for discount and 34% about new products of the co. and 42% of people are on twitter to learn about products/services and only 28% look for discount/sales.
    thats a great insight thanks 🙂

    1. Rob Petersen

      Prasant, Thanks for your comment and your insights. I also really like your blog and wish you the best. Thanks again. Rob

    1. Rob Petersen

      Thanks for the pingback. I really got a lot out of your blog and appreciate being included in it. Rob

    1. Rob Petersen

      Thanks for the pingback. I really appreciate it. Rob

  2. Luigi Fulk

    You provide great details. My partner and i look forward to reading a lot more in the near foreseeable future.

  3. […] “Four Charts That Show How Social Media Drives Sales Relationships” by Rob Peterson share: Blog this! Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on fark Share on FriendFeed Share on Linkedin Share on Posterous share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Share on technorati Tweet about it Share on xing Subscribe to the comments on this post […]

  4. Chris Radford

    Thanks for sharing this.
    This tells me to keep exploring and trying new things. It also tells me the naysayers are wrong.
    However I still believe the most effective use of social media is to share ideas and communicate how you can help people and support them, rather than to bombard them
    Bombarding seems to conflict with he word “social” that is part of the phrase social media

    1. Rob Petersen

      Thanks Chris. Appreciate the comments, input and the astute observations. I agree, when you engage in social media, you need to share something relevant rather than a hard sell. Thanks again. Rob

  5. Kerry2712

    Thanks for this but the address reads https://barnraisersllc.com/2011/01/2-words-social-media-influences-sales-bull-sh-t/
    which indicates that the data is in fact as the last part of the address reads BS

  6. Kerry2712

    Thanks for this but the address reads https://barnraisersllc.com/2011/01/2-words-social-media-influences-sales-bull-sh-t/
    which indicates that the data is in fact as the last part of the address reads BS

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