The majority (93%) of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while 85 percent believe a company should not only have a social media presence but also interact with its customers via social media.

Over half (56%) of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and are 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."

Specifically Americans believe:

•  Companies should use social networks to solve my problems (43%)
•  Companies should solicit feedback on their products and services (41%)
•  Companies should develop new ways for consumers to interact with their brand (37%)
•  Companies should market to consumers (25%)

Men are twice as likely as women to interact frequently with companies via social media (33% to 17%, respectively).

One-third of consumers (ages 18-34) 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 feel stronger connections to brands they interact with online.

"All of this is great news for marketers," Hollywood explains. "Men and younger consumers are traditionally the most challenging to reach, while the highest income households are typically very desirable; here they are saying ‘Come market to us and interact with us online.’ This is really a license to put more energy and resources into this medium and do it effectively."