Stop pushing your brand on us, is the clear message to advertisers from the UK's Twitter and Facebook users.
A survey by global data firm TNS found that 61% in the UK. Poorly thought digital strategies are generating mountains of what the company calles "digital waste", including friendless Facebook accounts or branded blogs no-one reads.
Matthew Froggatt, Chief Development Officer at TNS said: “Winning and keeping customers is harder than ever. The online world undoubtedly presents massive opportunities for brands, however it is only through deploying precisely tailored marketing strategies that they will be able to realise this potential. Simply adding to the cacophony of online noise, risks alienating potential customers and impacting business growth.”
Internet Week Europe yesterday tackled the issue in a panel discussion chaired by this author.
Think about the people you're talking to first, not what you want to tell them, was the message to brands from the panel and audience members.
Steve Rojas who runs social media for the Tribeca Grand and Soho Grand hotels in New York, spoke about the way that company genuinely listens to their customer, rather than broadcast to them.
"It's a different way of thinking about social media, it's not just a marketing thing, it's about who your customers are. It's why we're at Art Basel, we're sharing new music, we talk about art and design in our city, because that's what our customers want," he said.
The company has a site that's devoted to art, parties and culture around New York city, which Rojas describes as less about the "sell" and more about what customers really want to know about when they stay at the hotels.
Henry Clifford Jones, Director of Marketing Solutions at LinkedIn said: "It's important to consider the context of where someone is consuming what you're offering. We think about where they are and what the person needs from us."
The result is the professional-looking interface that many of us use at work, or in quick bursts when we're on the job hunt.
Charlie Wells, Director of Marketing & Analysis at Sapient Nitro and Ben Harknett, Director, EU Sales & Client Services, Wildfire Interactive also spoke at the event.
Harknett and Wells both said that brands that were successful in social media immersed themselves into their customers' world.
"When we were developing Sneakerpedia for Footlocker, we didn't just say "hey, here are some sneakers you should buy" we spent time with Sneaker Freakers. We asked them what they want, we got into collecting and together we came up with Sneakerpedia as a place where they could come together."
Plenty of us still love engaging with brands online. 54% of the people surveyed said social networks are a good place to learn about products. So get the planning right, respect the customer, and your brand won't be contributing to the digital waste dump.
Which brands annoy you on Facebook and Twitter and which ones do you love? Tell us in comments below.