A recent Harris survey revealed that 34% of adults have leaned on their preferred social media outlet to air their feelings about a company, brand or product. It goes to show that people want to break through the clutter of marketing and advertising and get firsthand recommendations about the products and brands they are interested in. As we all know social media continues to be a growing phenomenon, and people who utilize it represent a very present and highly influential segment of marketers looking to connect to consumers online.

The poll showed little disparity in positive feedback versus negative feedback. Twenty six percent said they complained about companies, 23% said they spoke positively and 19% gave product reviews or recommendations.

The scale of social media usage continues to grow, so Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and Facebook remain the go-to resource for those who want to gather information, share ideas and get reliable advice.

Use social media monitoring services to discover how and where customers are talking about your brand, your competitors or target keywords. Free sites include www.socialmention.com and www.trackur.com.

Like what you’ve read? Follow Scott Public Relations on Twitter and sign up for the Einsight RSS feed!