Forget the power of love. In this era of social media, all it takes is the power of “like” to foster brand interest.

A recent poll by Vancouver-based Ipsos Loyalty has found that nearly half (49%) of Canadians say they are either strongly or somewhat influenced by brand or product recommendations made by members of their online social network.

The findings are based on an online survey of 844 Canadians conducted in the first quarter of 2011.

Not surprisingly, the influence of social network recommendations is significantly stronger for online Canadians 18-34 (56%) than it is for older online Canadians 55+ (40%).

The study also found that 48% of online Canadians using an online social network “follow” or “like” a minimum of one brand. Nearly 60% of younger Canadians follow at least one brand and an average of five, while only 30% of older Canadians follow a brand, and are likely to follow just one.

“These results show that social networks influence impressions and ultimately the bottom line,” said Ipsos Loyalty vice-president Dave Pierzchala in a release.

Online relationships with brands are also likely to be tenuous, with 28% of Canadians saying they have “unliked” or stopped “following” a brand or company. Younger Canadians are particularly fickle, with 41% having “unliked” a company (compared with just 15% of older Canadians). The primary reason (55%) given for “unliking”: the consumer simply lost interest.

“Brands and products cannot assume that once a consumer befriends their organization that they will be friends for life,” said Pierzchala. “To be successful, organizations must work on their virtual relationships as hard as they work on their face-to-face ones.”