Improving your brand’s sociability – that is, the way that your business engages and connects with customers and fans in channels such as Twitter and Facebook – is becoming a critical aspect of any brand’s reputation and standing, says a new study.

Global PR agency Weber Shandwick partnered with Forbes Insights to survey almost 1,900 senior marketing/communications executives in 50 countries to try and determine what makes brands social – and why.

Key takeaways:

• The executives attributed 52% of their brand’s reputation to how social it was, expecting this to rise to 65% in three years
• 54% believe that the rewards of social media outweigh the risks
• 84% believe their brand’s sociability is not yet ‘world class’

The infographic also offers 9 tips on how brands of all sizes can improve their sociability.

(Source: Weber Shandwick. Top image credit: qushe via Shutterstock.)