Why Do We “Like” Brands on Facebook

By Gilbert Falso :: 8:09 AM

GutCheck, an online research and polling firm, released findings yesterday which indicate that the decision to “like” a brand on Facebook is influenced less by friends than by the potential to get something in exchange for a “like.”

The data was collected during online community discussions with participants in both the “boomer” and “millennial” age groups. The study provides a snapshot of the “why” behind liking a brand on Facebook, and behavior around brands that people are passionate about.

Key findings which were gathered during the study, include:

1.    Incentives to “like” a brand have become commodities and don’t drive true brand interest. Just over half of the boomers surveyed – 52% – indicated they are driven to “like” a brand in exchange for an offer, compared with 42% of millennials.

2.    Users are overdosing on likes. With so many people driven to “like” a brand by an offer, it’s no surprise that 63% of millennials and 60% of boomers can’t remember all of the brands they gave the thumbs up to.

3.    Likes don’t necessarily reflect brands people are truly passionate about. Only 16% of millennials and 36% of boomers said that they “liked” all of their favorite brands on Facebook.

4.    While friends aren’t a primary reason to “like” a brand on Facebook, they are the most important source for information about a brand that someone is truly passionate about. 68% of millennials and 52% of boomers said that information from their friends about brands is where they go for opinions that matter.

A full report on the findings can be downloaded at http://gutcheckit.com/socialmedia.

How many brands do boomers “Like” on Facebook vs. millenials