Why do some brands have thousands of followers while other brands have only hundreds? It’s a great question to ask especially if you are about to start a social media marketing campaign. Yesterday we posted a great infographic from the folks at getSatisfaction. Today we have another explaining why people follow brands on social media. It also explores why brands spend money to drive traffic to their sites. What is it about certain brands like Coke, Disney and Starbucks that attract followers? There are three major reasons.

Why People to Follow Brands on Social Media

• First, current customers are likely to like or follow brands. They want to know what the brand is doing, reach out for customer service, or stay current on specials and sales.
• Second, there was an incentive. Look at posts on social media these days and you’ll notice that many brands run contests that include, as a step for entering, a like or follow. This is a great tactic to hook people. And, while many people are quick to follow, they generally will not unfollow.
• Last, the content is entertaining or amusing. If you post content that brings a smile you’ll gain followers.

It is rare for a Facebook or other social media user to like or follow a brand simply because a friend did. When it comes to business loyalties, we are individuals with our own tastes. It is unlikely we’ll ever get over our iPhone vs. Android tendencies.

Brand loyalty is huge. 50% of consumers who like or follow a brand page on social media are likely to recommend it to others. This might not get the brand followers instantly, but once someone follows that recommendation they will often like the brand post purchase.

Check out the original on the getSatisfaction blog