Study: Most Americans want to see companies on social sites

A study from Boston consultant firm Cone finds that almost 60 percent of Americans interact with companies on a social media website, and one in four interact more than once per week.

According to the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, 93 percent of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85 percent believe a company should not only be present, but also interact with its consumers via social media. In fact, 56 percent of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.

"The news here is that Americans are eager to deepen their brand relationships through social media," explains Mike Hollywood, director of new media for Cone. "It isn't an intrusion into their lives, but rather a welcome channel for discussion."

Men, a much sought-after target in the online space, are twice as likely as women to interact frequently (one or more times per week) with companies via social media (33% to 17%, respectively).

"The ease and efficiency of online conversation is likely a draw for men, who historically do not seek out the same level of interaction with companies as women," says Hollywood.

Likewise, of younger, hard-to-reach consumers (ages 18-34), one-third believe companies should actively market to them via social networks, and the same is true of the wealthiest households (household income of $75,000+). Two-thirds of the wealthiest households and the largest households (3 or more members) feel stronger connections to brands they interact with online.

The online survey was conducted September 11-12, 2008, by Opinion Research Corporation, among 1,092 adults comprising 525 men and 567 women 18 years of age and older.