Sprout Social has released its latest report on the state of social media marketing and how consumers and brands perceive social media interactions, with insights into evolving expectations, content behavior, the use of AI and more.
Sprout surveyed more than 1,800 social media users and 900 marketers in the U.S. and U.K. to capture a broad audience, and the findings should provide a fairly accurate representation of broader changes.
You can download the full 39-page report here , but in this post we’ll look at some key takeaways.
First, Sprout’s data shows that while social media usage is on the rise, the reasons people follow brands on social apps are also changing over time.
As you can see, keeping people up to date on the most relevant product updates is important, but sharing special offers is also a much more important interest driver than things like brand values or mission-based notes.
That’s not to say these aren’t important, as there are still plenty of people who want to learn about a brand’s mission and enjoy branded content, but it’s worth considering the main reasons for having a social media presence and how your business aligns with this list.
Interestingly, however, people’s views on brand values and mission are more strongly expressed on Sprout, a list of content they don’t see enough of from companies.
People follow brands for product updates and deals, but don't want to see promotional content – perhaps it's more about behind-the-scenes explanations and insights into how a product is developed.
There is less ambiguity about this element.
When customers post a comment, they expect a response, so if you find yourself ignoring certain comments or not monitoring your DMs, move this up on your “to do” list to make sure you show your customers you’re listening when they reach out to you.
But the good news is that expectations for responses from brands are lowering.
This chart shows that 69% of consumers now expect a same-day response, compared to 77% in last year's survey. More consumers expect a response within minutes/hours of posting, which increases the sense of urgency in that sense. But overall, it seems that consumers are beginning to understand that brands can't always respond quickly, especially given the rise in online inquiries.
The report also covers generative AI, with the following chart in particular being of note:
That said, while we recognize that people will interact with AI agents more frequently in the future, brands should be careful about making the process more robotic, which may decrease engagement factors for some consumers. Relying too quickly on AI could end up alienating people. And like everything else, at least for now, AI tools should still be considered a complement, not a replacement.
Sprout's full report includes more detailed insights into each of these elements, as well as an overview of the latest trends in social media management and how businesses can track performance and develop strategies.
Valuable insight into the current landscape. The full Sprout Social Index report can be downloaded here (email registration required).
