A study that was recently published by the Fredrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany found that web users are still engaging in behaviors that everyone should know are very risky and can lead to viruses. Following links that come to email inboxes and Facebook news feeds from unknown sources is very dangerous online. Most people even know that it is very dangerous.
Despite that, however, 56% of email users and 40% of Facebook users in the study actually clicked these types of links.
The study went like this. Emails and Facebook posts were made to 1700 students. They were sent using false names, which were generated based on the most popular names of the target audience’s generation. The posts were intentionally made just like most click-bait types of posts or emails. They lured people in with things such as, “Photos from Last Weekend’s Party!” Just vague enough to peak someone’s interest, but definitely questionable.
When people clicked the links, it brought them to an access denied page, and then sent them a survey asking questions about their behavior. The questions asked about the individuals own perceived awareness of online security, then explained the experiment they were a part of, and asked why they clicked the link.
Of the respondents, 78% claimed that they know the risks of clicking on unknown links. Most of them actually said they didn’t click on links from unknown people, which means either they lied about it or they didn’t really look closely at where these emails or Facebook messages were coming from.
The majority of the ones who did admit to clicking on the links said it was curiosity that made them do it. Apparently in addition to killing cats, curiosity is also responsible for spreading viruses online!
For marketers, this information is quite valuable. It really does show that unsolicited emails and Facebook messages can be a very effective way to market certain things. While not right for all campaigns, it may be worth exploring further.
You can see the full study HERE.
