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Businesses Spying on Consumers Online: Fair or Foul Play?

Announcement posted by BuzzNumbers - Social Media Monitoring & Intelligence 14 Jul 2010

How do consumers feel about companies eavesdropping on their tweets, Facebook updates, and any number of other online exchanges?

Businesses Spying on Consumers Online: Fair or Foul Play?

SYDNEY—July 14, 2010

As social media continues to become an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, many businesses are utilising this medium as a valuable corporate tool. With the creation of online social media monitoring companies, companies are now able to gain insight into what conversations are taking place online surrounding their brand, products, and competitors.

This corporate “spying” begs the question: How do consumers feel about companies eavesdropping on their tweets, Facebook updates, and any number of other online exchanges?

“We’ve learned that most consumers are very happy that companies are listening to social media conversations and responding based on what they hear,” says Nick Holmes a Court, founder of BuzzNumbers, Australia’s leading Social Media Monitoring company. “Our product allows companies to bridge the gap between the corporation and the consumer by engaging with their clients online and using customer feedback to improve their businesses.”

According to a survey conducted on June 23, 2010, an average of 68% of internet users reported that they were pleased that companies were listening and responding to the issues they voiced online. (Source: Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive, “Digital Influence Index: Understanding the role of the internet in the lives of consumers”)

The question remains, is it acceptable for companies to listen to our personal conversations when we talk online? Or, do consumers just need to accept that as social media “broadcasters,” their messages are destined for the world to consume, not just their friends and followers?

About BuzzNumbers:
BuzzNumbers (www.buzznumbershq.com), Australia’s first Social Media Intelligence and Monitoring company, enables companies to track online media, news, blogs, forums, social media & video and provides powerful Intelligence and Monitoring capabilities through its Web Software. With a portfolio of more than 100 Australian companies and Global Multinationals across several sectors, BuzzNumbers is the leading analytics provider in the fastest growing internet space (Social Media) in the largest and fastest growing internet market (Asia Pacific).