The ultimate goal of having Facebook fans is to spark higher online revenues. Almost half (47 per cent) of active social media users are more inclined than other customers to be heavy spenders on shoes, clothing and accessories, according to Nielsen. Further, consumers who engage with companies via social media spend between 20 per cent and 40 per cent more than the average consumer, according to consultant Bain & Co.

Ledbury, the wealth intelligence provider, has compiled a ranking of the numbers of Facebook fans for a number of luxury brands. In its November edition of High Net Worth Ledbury examined the incremental effect of Facebook fans, comparing the growth in fans with the growth in brands’ sales. This analysis is deliberately simplified in that it does not account for the various sectors’ growth within the luxury category, nor location of sales and fans.

This year Burberry is still in the lead by absolute numbers, followed by Gucci, Dior and Chanel. Burberry also fares well in terms of year-on-year growth, which is up 290 per cent, reflecting its continued pioneering in the field of social media and marketing in general, said Ledbury.

Hilfiger and Louis Vuitton also feature amongst those with the highest growth rates, at 272 per cent and 182 per cent for the year respectively. Hilfiger’s growth can be attributed to the 60 per cent increase in the advertising budget in the latter half of last year and, higher interaction by members of the ‘Hilfiger family’ with fans on their Facebook page, said Ledbury.

The biggest increase is at Christian Dior, which has dramatically grown its fan base, from just under 0.4 million to more than 5.5 million this year. This represents a jump of more than 1,000 per cent and takes it from 13th place in 2010 to 3rd place.