Deals are still the top driver for social media marketing

With Groupon going public today on the Nasdaq, it seems that deals are still the main reason someone follows certain brands.

Gavin O'Malley wrote an excellent report that broke down  recent Nielsen/McKinsey NM Incite research.

Taken from the article :

For brands, the real value of Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers remains uncertain. Their growing lust for such social admiration, however, does not.

So, how do brands get the most love on any given social network? With deals, deals, and more deals, according to new research from Nielsen/McKinsey's NM Incite.

Indeed, the top reason for following or liking a brand, company or celebrity on social networking sites is to receive discounts and special offers, according to a recent survey of global online consumers conducted by Nielsen.

"While some may argue that consumers’ interest in discounts has faded, Nielsen data shows the desire for deals is still strong worldwide,” concluded NM Incite.

In the U.S., NM Incite found that nearly 60% of social media users visit social networks to receive coupons or promotions, with 23% saying they do this on a weekly basis.

Read the whole article on MediaPost here