Brands must use social media to engage younger consumers

UK — Almost three times more young consumers ( 16- to 24-year-olds) than the 55+ age group claimed a brand’s ability to engage with them in social media was important to them, according to a survey from Enghouse Interactive.

So while 41% of 55+ year olds said brands using online comms wasn’t important to them, only 9% of 16- to 24-year-olds felt the same.

Email was the preferred method of business engagement with nearly half of respondents ( 46%) referencing it, almost twelve times the proportion citing social media ( 4%).

Jeremy Payne, international vice-president, marketing, Enghouse Interactive said: “The lesson is that a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work in today’s complex market, businesses need to know their customers and deliver services tailored to their needs.”

When asked what action they would take as a result of poor customer service, a significantly larger proportion ( 17%) said they would spread the message on social media than via email ( 11%).

The survey polled more than 2,000 adults across the UK.