A study in Australia has revealed that while the number of consumers connecting to brands through social media is at an all-time high, companies must work harder than ever to keep users happy.

‘Always On’, the study carried out by creative strategy hub Social Hatch and research group Latitude Insights, found that 80 per cent of Australians who actively use the various social media channels had, at some point, connected with a business or brand through sites like Facebook and Twitter.

While this news is encouraging for businesses looking for a cost-efficient, effective way of getting through to their target audiences, the study also revealed that nearly 50 per cent of the users had, for whatever reason, disconnected from some of the brands they once loved.

Getting the attention of a target audience is the sole purpose of any marketing campaign, whether it involves traditional advertising or, in this case, more modern techniques. However, attracting attention is no use unless consumers are kept engaged and satisfied afterwards. The ‘Always On’ study goes to prove that it is not enough for businesses to simply connect with their customers via social media; they must also provide useful content to keep interest high.

Sites like Facebook are successful because they act as networks for users. People can connect with each other and a major part of this lies in the ability to share content. Social networks make it extremely easy for friends and family to share links to things like music tracks, movies and text. To make the most of this opportunity, businesses must create engaging content that lends itself to word-of-mouth promotion.

Engaging content must be up-to-date, original and useful. One of the advantages for a business using a site like Twitter is that it provides a human element to an otherwise corporate brand; so if a business only uses its profile to push products, it’s unlikely to keep hold of its following.

As an increasing number of businesses realise the importance of having an online presence, it has become more difficult to win the attention of users. To get ahead, business owners should ensure they use social media effectively and wisely. Above all, this starts with high quality engaging content.

Graeme Parton

Graeme has experience creating content for online sources and for the radio, and at university he studied Multimedia Journalism.