The research, conducted on behalf of the IAB’s Social Media Council (SMC) and carried out by Marketing Sciences, found that 90% of consumers would recommend a brand after interacting on social media and added that social media was particularly effective in positively shifting attributes like sentiment, recommendation, and propensity to trial new products and brand loyalty.

Four out of five consumers said they would be more inclined to buy a brand more often in the future after being exposed to a brand’s social media presence, while 83% of consumers exposed to social media would trial a brand’s product.

Given that all brands saw uplift in affinity and loyalty, the IAB said that for every £1 spent in social media, a potential value of £3.34 could be generated.

Kristin Brewe, the IAB’s director of marketing & communications and chair of the SMC said: “The IAB study shows that, when trying to create deeper emotional connections with consumers, social media is an essential channel for brands. This isn’t surprising since social media is the only channel where it’s possible for brands and consumers to have meaningful two-way conversations, making the strength of connections that much stronger.”