WebProNews

The term "social media" might conjure up images of tossed sheep or sparkly profile pages, but a new study proves businesses need to take it seriously.  Consumers are quite willing to both share bad experiences and learn about what's happened to others.

The Society for New Communications Research asked 300 people about customer care experiences, and found that 59.1 percent of them have used social media to point out a problem.  A little more than 72 percent of respondents tried to listen, researching companies online before making a purchase.

 Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes

What's more, these people weren't penny pinchers or troublemakers.  Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes, a senior fellow at the Society, stated, "This study indicates that there is a growing group of highly desirable consumers using social media to research companies: 25- to 55-years old, college-educated, earning $100,000+ - a very powerful group in terms of buying behavior."

As a result, businesses may want to become more careful about how they treat complaints.  When anyone - or everyone - can turn away potential customers by spending just a minute or two typing, paying attention to social media is important.

At the same time, businesses that effectively manage their online reputations will find social media can generate sales.  This makes wading through all the sheep and sparkles seem worthwhile.