Interesting social media research from media Universal McCann London, part of its Wave 6 report, that highlights what consumers are using various social media sites for.

The research makes the point that it is important for brands to understand that consumers use a huge range of social media platforms, and that each one fulfils a very specific need.

To build knowledge or to understand a particular topic, they will turn to brand websites and forums; for fun and entertainment, social networks and Instant Messenger are considered more appropriate.

Th research also highlighted the decline in consumers visiting brand websites over the past four years.  With the arrival of social media and particularly Facebook people just aren’t visiting brand sites as much and some brands have not worked out how to best use their own websites when so much activity about the brand takes place elsewhere.

Do brand websites still serve a purpose? Of course they do but it might be a different one to what they were originally intended for.

Social media has essentially relegated brand sites to an informational role working in unison with the other online presences that brands have.

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