If a formula combining the number of fans and posts on Facebook with number of followers and tweets on Twitter is a reliable method of tracking popularity, then Avis is doing a good job.
Greenlight Search has investigated the leading car rental companies in the UK to establish the first popularity index based on four factors: use and frequency of both Twitter and Facebook.
Of the top 15 brands included in the survey, all but NationalCar, EasyCar, Enterprise and Suncar had a following on Twitter, for example, compared with just five that have fans on Facebook.
The index is as follows:
- Avis
- Travelsupermarket
- Streetcar
- Auto-Europe
- Hertz
- Carrentals
- CarHire3000
- Budget
- Europcar
- HolidayAutos
- Atlaschoice
- NationalCar
- EasyCar
- Enterprise
- Suncar
Greenlight says:
"Auto-Europe was the most actrive brand in social media, producing a total of seven p[oists and 188 tweets in April. It also had the most integrated following, with 53 Facebook fans and 344 Twitter followers. By contrast, Budget, which had 118 followers on Twitter, did not generate a single tweet in April, and therefore missed out on potential interaction with social media consumers."
NB: Full details of the Car Hire report from Greenlight.
Perhaps an obvious way to develop the survey will be to measure not only the number of tweets or posts by a company but if the messages are one-way or in response to questions for consumers (@replies, for example).