Discounts Drive Email & Facebook Signups; Too Much Contact Drives Them Away, Study Says

Email and social media are pretty similar when it comes to what drives consumers to connect — or disconnect — with brands.

A new study from email provider Constant Contact and Chadwick Martin Bailey shows that the chance to get discounts and special offers is the primary reason that consumers “like” a Facebook page and why they subscribe to a company e-mail list.

The survey, conducted in late 2011, involved 1,481 adults in the U.S. who completed a 15-minute online questionnaire.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they subscribe to a company mailing list to get discounts and special offers, while 41 percent said that’s why they “like” a company’s Facebook page. In both cases, it was the number one reason consumers take those actions (see far right below).

The number two reason was also discount-driven — to “take part in a specific promotion.”

Altruism isn’t much of a factor for consumers — only 15 percent join a mailing list and 25 percent like a Facebook page because they want to support a company/organization that they like (see far left above).

Meanwhile, consumers also have similar reasons for both “unliking” a company on Facebook and leaving a mailing list: too much contact and irrelevant content.

“Too many emails” was listed as the top reason for abandoning a mailing list, while “the content is no longer relevant” was the number two reason. When it comes to unliking a company on Facebook, those same two things tied as the main reason.

The Constant Contact data shouldn’t be a surprise. About 18 months ago, a similar study from ExactTarget showed that discounts and promotions are the main reason why Facebook users “like” a company. And just about a year ago, a separate ExactTarget study also showed that too many posts was the main reason why fans stop following companies on Facebook.

Here’s the full set of slides with additional data from the Constant Contact survey.