Why people follow brands on twitter

An interesting survey from the The digital agency Razorfish in the States via (Joanna Geary)

It found that discounts and special offers are the main reasons why "connected consumers" in the US choose to "follow" brands on social networks like Facebook and Twitter

The digital agency, part of Publicis Groupe, surveyed 1,000 Americans in an effort to identify the characteristics of "connected consumers", the audience which it argued "our clients are most interested in both understanding and reaching."

and

Among participants tracking brands on Twitter, 44% said access to exclusive deals was the main reason for doing so, a total that fell to 23.5% opting to link to these feeds because they were an existing customer of the brand, and 22.7% in order to view "interesting or entertaining content."