Talking Politics on Social Media Increases Brand Loyalty

66% of Americans want brands to share their opinions on social and political issues, and the majority think social media is the best place to do it.

According to Sprout Social, self-identified liberals are more interested than self-identified conservatives in hearing brands’ points-of-view. Those on the left are also more likely to respond to cause-oriented posts with increased engagement, incremental purchases, brand loyalty and brand recommendations.

Liberals are more apt than conservatives to withdraw support from brands whose publicly-stated values do not align with theirs.

Americans scrutinize the causes that businesses support. They are turned off by companies that appear to be just jumping on the band wagon. Brands that champion causes that impact their customers or employees are the most credible and appealing.

Consumers think roughly 10% of a brand’s social media activity should be dedicated to social and political issues. The most compelling posts highlight donations companies have made and steps their followers can take to help specific causes.

Americans’ desire for brands to speak up on issues is relatively new. Historically, consumer research indicated that brands were best served by keeping their opinions to themselves.

Sources: Bloomberg 2017, Comscore 2017, eMarketer 2017, NPD 2017, National Public Radio 2017, Search Engine People 2017