According to recent Affluence Collaborative survey, wealthy internet users connect with brands on social networks for significantly different reasons than the general population. The social networks they use are different, too.
Among the general population, the main reason cited for connecting with brands on social networks was to receive deals and discounts. In contract, the top reasons wealthy individuals follow brands is a desire to be kept informed about the brand.
| Brand Following On Social Networks (% of Respondents in Each Income Group) | |||
| Reason for Following | Affluents ($200K-5000K) | Affluents (>$500K) | General Population |
| Deals or discounts |
39.4% |
29.0% |
44.3% |
| Love the brand |
39.7 |
52.3 |
36.9 |
| Keep up with brand news |
31.3 |
34.8 |
27.5 |
| Someone else following |
22.2 |
31.0 |
18.8 |
| Social network recommendation |
21.2 |
33.5 |
16.1 |
| Print/TV/Online ad |
25.9 |
31.0 |
14.8 |
| Mentioned in article |
22.6 |
23.9 |
12.8 |
| Professional interest |
18.9 |
15.5 |
10.7 |
| Tweets/posts |
3.4 |
7.7 |
9.4 |
| Source: The Affluence Collaborative, NowResearch, EMarketer, April, 2011 | |||
Facebook was the No.1 social network used by all groups surveyed, but LinkedIn and Twitter attracted affluent internet users at nearly double the rate of the general population.
For wealthy internet users, connecting with a brand is largely about the brand itself, not offers. Affluents need to see a consistent message that makes following a brand meaningful for self-expression, just like when buying a brand in real life.
