For those of you still questioning the value of social-media placements, you can stop. According to a recent study by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies, Facebook fans and Twitter followers of brands are more likely to recommend and buy from those brands than before becoming fans/followers.

In fact, 60 percent of Facebook fans and 79 percent of Twitter followers are more likely to recommend those respective brands. Also, 51 percent of Facebook users and 67 percent of Twitter users are more likely to buy the brands they fan or follow. These numbers are proof that social media does impact the bottom line for businesses that have chosen to take advantage of this fast growing medium.

The study also asked users the reasons why they became brand fans on Facebook. The top reason (25 percent of users) is to receive discounts and promotions, followed by 21 percent of users becoming fans because they are current customers. Keeping fan pages up to date is proving to be essential for successful social-media campaigns. Many companies have promotions exclusively for their Facebook fans, or they simply make them available to them before the rest of the public.

By launching social initiatives like this, you can make joining your fan page a great incentive for all those potential customers in search of the best deal.