SocialMarketingExpert research shows some recent findings in the Boston Globe study entitled “Most Americans Want to See Companies on Social Sites” indicate that many, if not most Americans (93%) want to see companies on social sites to help them better understand their brands. Here’s an excerpt from that study:

According to the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, 93 percent of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85 percent believe a company should not only be present, but also interact with its consumers via social media. In fact, 56 percent of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.

“The news here is that Americans are eager to deepen their brand relationships through social media,” explains Mike Hollywood, director of new media for Cone. “It isn’t an intrusion into their lives, but rather a welcome channel for discussion.”

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2008/09/study_most_amer.html