95 Million Americans Use Social Media to Shop

Here’s some terrific news for marketers looking for ways to use social media networks  to improve the customer experience:

New research reveals that more and more people are shopping via social media sites, and it’s a trend showing no signs of stopping.  The key, of course, is discerning which sites or tools will enable you to most effectively connect with your target audience.

The study, recently released by Leo Burnett’s marketing division Arc Worldwide, not only contained findings to send any self-respecting online marketing pro’s heart racing, but also boiled down the demographics into six “shopper archetypes,” providing a snapshot of the preferences and requirements each demonstrate when they do their “social shopping.”

First, let’s take a look at the study findings:

• Nearly 95 million Americans currently shop via one or more forms of social media.
• More than 70 percent of the 4,000 people surveyed in this study stated they use social media to shop more now than they ever did.
• Of these, 42 percent said they use Facebook for shopping more than they did a year ago, 46 percent indicated they participate more on review forums, and more than half have increased the frequency with which they check out daily deals on sites such as Groupon.

In order to make this information even more useful to marketers, the researchers felt it was important to consider which social media platforms attracted certain personality types.

As Nick Jones, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide’s head of retail marketing explained, “Fifty years ago marketers figured out that broadcast media drove awareness and print media added depth of communication.  Now we have all of these new social communication channels but no one has identified the optimal role of each. That’s what this study and this set of tools solves.”

So what are the six archetypes, and what characterizes their social shopping behavior?  Here’s the list:

Study: Only One in Ten Businesses Measures Social Media ROI

In previous posts, I’ve puzzled over the reluctance of certain industries and professions (for example, health care organizations and law firms) to embrace social media as part of their marketing and customer service strategies.  But, here’s something I find even stranger: Businesses that ramp up their social media use without a plan measure the effectiveness of their efforts.

A study of 250 companies in the UK exposed disturbing discrepancies between time and resources devoted to social media and how well or thoroughly these businesses analyzed its impact.  Upon surveying the marketing decision-makers at these organizations, researchers at EPiServer discovered a staggering 90 percent had no substantive way of collecting or analyzing the return on investment from their social media marketing forays.

In addition, more than half of these same marketing leaders admitted to having devoted larger slices of their campaigns to social media over the past year, and nearly 30 percent stated they implemented an additional social media channel during that same time frame.  Moreover, one in five respondents predicted that they will invest even more resources on social media marketing over the coming 12 months—with no substantive evidence as to whether their current online campaigns had been effective.

When asked how they gauged the overall benefits their companies received as a result of their social media presence, the UK marketers provided some less than convincing testimonials:

39 Percent of Americans Spend More Time Socializing Online Than Face-to-Face

There’s no question that social media has had enormous impact on how, when and why we interact with one another.  But has our growing reliance on digital platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and online forums made us more anti-social face-to-face?

Badoo, the social networking and meet up site, set out to determine just what sort of impact social media use has had on social interactions offline.  To this end, they hired the research firm Dynamic Markets to survey more than 6,000 Britons, Germans and Americans during March and April of this year regarding their interpersonal beliefs and behaviors both on and offline.

The responses of the approximately 2,000 US adult respondents included in this study provided some unsettling insights into emerging social practices. For instance, take a look at these admissions:

Hulu Offers New Opportunities to Engage With Viewers

Online video giant Hulu just unveiled a wide new array of web programming, complete with big names who wield lots of star power clout, including SNL’s Seth Myers and Adrian Grenier of “Entourage.”

These original “TV” shows, made to be viewed online, are probably just the tip of the antenna, so to speak – considering the reported $500 million that Hulu plans to spend developing content this year.  It seems like the market is ready for this type of investment.In February alone, Americans watched 2.5 billion videos on Hulu, which the company calculates to be 1,000 videos a second.

So, keep your eye on this channel. After all, it was only a few months ago when a Forrester research report showed that the average Joe Viewer spends just as much time surfing the web as surfing channels on TV, about 13 hours a week. For cord-cutters, the decline of the TV set continues, and naturally, the ramping up of digital means that more and more video companies like Hulu are going to play in this media sandbox.

What does it mean to marketers that Hulu, an ad-supported, on-demand video streaming service, is stealing prime time? For one, Hulu is demonstrating that it’s willing to put more skin into the advertising game. Hulu advertisers will not be charged unless their ad has been viewed to completion, and Hulu is hoping this commitment will show advertisers that the time to invest in online video is now. Second, the shift to online viewing –-and from a variety of different devices, such as phones and tablets – is a reminder that multi-platform tools of engagement (social media, interactive promotions, etc.) are the way to engage consumers and retain customers.

Hulu’s move toward original programming, underscores that:

Healthcare Companies Missing Valuable Opportunities to Engage via Social Media Sites

In the past, I’ve been somewhat puzzled by the reluctance of certain industries and occupations to embrace social media as a way to connect with and engage their customers.

But, I’ll admit, I’m even more baffled when companies remain resistant, even after consumers demonstrate they are eager to learn more about them online.

Case in point: People are flocking to social media sites and health forums for healthcare information, and yet providers of healthcare services are maintaining relatively low social media profiles.

According to a recently released PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, consumers were 24 times more likely to seek or share health information on community sites than on the corporate sites of healthcare organizations, largely because they found that community sites were more accessible.

Kelly Barnes, US Health Industries leader at PwC, says social media has created a new customer service access point where consumers expect an immediate response.

“Health organizations have an opportunity to use social media as a way to better listen, participate in discussions and engage with consumers in ways that extend their interaction beyond a clinical encounter,” Barnes explained. “Savvy adopters are viewing social media as a business strategy, not just a marketing tool.”

Here’s what researchers found after surveying 1,000 US consumers for this study: