London. 15, October 2021: Amity, the leading technology platform that powers in-app social experiences, today reveals the results of research which highlights the importance of brands creating online communities to engage with their customers. Almost three-quarters (72%) of the consumers polled say they would be more likely to return to a brand that creates a strong online community, while almost two-thirds (63%) admit they are more likely to buy from a brand that leverages engaging social features on its app.
Francesca Gargaglia, CBO & COO at Amity
The survey, which polled 500 consumers from the UK, also finds that consumers crave content from their peers in order to help them in making purchasing decisions. The majority (71%) of consumers state they prefer to view user-generated content over brand-generated content when considering whether to buy from a brand, while more than half of consumers (52%) agree that positive social proof, such as customer reviews, makes them more likely to buy from a brand. Amity’s research also sought to understand which in-app social features consumers felt best replicated human interactions during the lockdown period. Online communities came out strongly, with over a quarter (27%) admitting that they were the best means of replicating human interactions from a brand. This was second only to live chat (33%), a feature regularly part of brands online communities.
Francesca Gargaglia, CBO & COO at Amity, says: “In an increasingly digital world, consumers seek a sense of belonging from the brands they interact with. The results of this research emphasise the importance of online communities as an integral feature of a brand’s marketing strategy. Businesses must prioritise their digital communities to foster personalised brand-consumer relationships and establish a competitive advantage. Positive in-app communities enable an increased level of trust, build a loyal consumer base and in return, increase sales.”
For more information about how Amity can help your brand to build engaging in-app communities, please visit www.amity.co
The research polled 500 consumers from within the UK, and was conducted in September 2021.
About Amity
Amity is the leading technology platform that powers in-app social experiences. Amity’s platform is used by more than 10 million people every month, powering in-app social experiences and social networks for more than 120 large organisations. Amity Social Cloud, the company’s flagship platform, allows companies and developers to easily add plug-and-play social features to any app or digital platform. In a booming and crowded mobile app marketplace, this enables product and marketing teams to build communities, drive engagement, increase retention and grow revenues.
