E-consultancy research shows that 78.6% of Facebook users didn’t yet follow any brands on Facebook, leaving 21.3% who did. Females are more likely to follow brands on Facebook than males (24% vs 18%).

The most common reason for doing so was to be notified of special offers (70%). Other reasons included shopping (38%), to be follow events (38%) and to leave feedback (29%).

Other findings from the e-consultancy research include:

* F-commerce is in its infancy but one in four people have made a purchase via a brand’s Facebook Page.
* Less than one in five people have complained via a Facebook Page. I expect this number to grow in future, as the channel matures.
* People typically discover Facebook Pages via the company website, or having been recommended by a friend. Almost 60% of people have recommended a brand to friends.
* People primarily unsubscribe from pages if they are dull, or not updated frequently enough. They’ll also bail out if there are too many updates.

It’s important to find the right balance for your audience.