eMarketer recently published the results of an InSites Consulting survey that explored the ways in which consumers interact with brands on social media sites. Most significantly, the survey found that brands themselves are considered a credible source of information about brands, which marks a significant shift from earlier responses in similar surveys.

Most respondents (38 percent) said that other consumers, namely friends or peers, were the most trusted source of information about a brand. However, the brands themselves came in a close second with 32 percent of votes. Journalists, who have traditionally been considered objective sources, came in third with only 7 percent. Additionally, among those respondents who reported that they became fans of things on social networking sites, 35 percent said they became fans of brands.

This study highlights how important it is for brands to maintain a presence in social media. InSites points out that social networking sites reach an audience of over 940 million people around the world. Even though many platforms are used for personal reasons, it is clear that consumers are interacting with brands on these sites at an unprecedented level. FairWinds released a Perspectives paper this week detailing what brand owners need to know about registering usernames and handles on social networks in order to optimize their visibility and reach their target audience.

For more information, the entire paper is available on the FairWinds Web site.

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