Paid keywords and flashy interactive banner ads may be great ways for marketing a brand, but the best method for fostering brand loyalty may just be old-fashioned conversation.

According to a new study by the consumer social network ExpoTV, 55 percent of consumers want an ongoing dialogue with brands, and roughly 89 percent would feel more loyalty toward brands that directly communicated with them.

Once consumers have the ear of brand executives, they want to talk about what improvements are being made and what new products are in development. On top of that, 79 percent of consumers want to share their new product ideas.

"These are the individuals that marketers should be targeting because of their knowledge, enthusiasm and influence. Embracing them is the key to harnessing the power of word-of-mouth marketing and ultimately driving brand loyalty," Dave Rubinstein, ExpoTV's VP of brand engagement, said in a press release.

The survey found a direct link between brand discussions and word-of-mouth buzz. Approximately 92 percent of respondents said they would recommend a product to friends after participating in a dialogue with a brand.