Social Network Brand Fans More Likely to Buy

Chadwick, Martin, Bailey, a research firm based in Boston proves what we already know: people who associate themselves with a brand through online social networks are more likely, on average, to buy that brand and recommend it to friends.

While we spend a lot of time trying to mathematically prove the value of a fan and therefore assign ROI numbers to social initiatives, the truth is it is dependent on the product or service, the brand, the industry, etc.  This study however, provides benchmark numbers for the very top of the “virality funnel” where we begin to understand a fans propensity to advocate for a brand versus non-fans.  The end goal is to have a virality coefficient of >1, meaning that each new fan brings more than one new fan with them, proving your brand has viral appeal and exponential growth.

It is intuitive that having fans and followers is better than not having them however, if you need some numbers to prove it, here is a study of 1500 brands to back you up.  Article.