Studies Reveal Majority of Americans Log-off of Social Media in Response to Incivility

The digital revolution the United States has experienced in the past decade has truly been an amazing time to live through.  The advent and subsequent explosion of industries such as Social Media and Social Networking (all but unknown a few short years ago) have made information sharing online a primary method of education, business, and even entertainment for a vast majority of Americans.  Along with said edStudies Reveal Majority of Americans Log-off of Social Media in Response to Incivilityucating, business dealings, and entertaining has also come an onslaught of commenting by readers of the information posted on websites that much of this country has determined to be sharing too much.

According to a survey conducted by a large corporate public relations firm and research organization in Washington, D.C. that polled over 1,000 Americans, 34% of the American public openly admits to avoiding certain users and entire websites because they deem a user, company’s commentary, or online behavior as “disrespectful” or “uncivil.”  A majority (51%) of the polled audience specifically cited blogs as the offending source.  The anonymity afforded to users on blogs (if they choose it) allowing posters to respond to posts and comment on other readers’ comments without being “identified” enables the spread of incivility in the blogosphere.  This is in contrast to the highly identifiable nature of other social media site users whose comments are usually linked directly to their personal profiles- making users more accountable for their online actions.

More than just a statistical litany, this is a strong wake up call to all companies utilizing social media platforms as part of their business model to be cautious of not only what they say, but to constantly monitor what posters and online users are saying about your business’ website and its’ affiliated web profiles.  Social media has exploded in popularity amongst consumers because users are able to “group” themselves amongst friends and followers with similar interests and beliefs.  Companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon too because they are then able to appeal to those highly specialized “groups” as a demographic for their product or service.  Thus, if users read a disparaging or rude remark from another user on a company’s blog or other site, and the company does not address the issue (remove the comment or address the reader’s remark); it can be viewed as an attitude of indifference by the company towards its clientele.

The place to begin these digital customer retention efforts is with the company’s posts.  If using social media (Twitter, Facebook, or blogs) in connection with business, be smart and exercise discretion to reflect your company’s standards.  What’s easily deemed a “brilliant expression of opinion” by a company poster can be seen as disrespectful and inappropriate to many a potential customer.  As we referenced in the McCauley Marketing Services’ Tips on Using Social Media blog post, the evidence is hard to erase– caching and rss feeds make quick and dirty dissemination all the more rampant. As a business owner, it’s smart to monitor review networks and blog comments frequently to ensure that any negative comments that do arise are handled appropriately.  Contact the McCauley Marketing Services’ office today if our professional and discrete team of copy writers and researchers can help you compile and maintain a professional blog.