2013 Yellow™ Social Media Report: businesses need to catch up to mobile-mad world

by Marketing ON 21 May 2013

Aussies are slowly ditching the desktop computer and using their smartphone and mobile devices to access social media according to a new study.

The 2013 Yellow™ Social Media Report found that the number of social media users now tapping smartphones to access social media increased to 67% from 53% last year, with people using laptops and PCs decreasing to 64% to 69% in 2012.

The use of tablets to access social networks almost doubled from 18% in 2012 to 35% this year. Mobile devices were most popular for social media users under 50 years of age, while those over 50 still prefer to use computers to access social sites.

“We’re seeing major changes in the way Aussies are now using social media,” explains Kelly Brough, executive general manager, digital partnerships and innovation at Sensis.

“The average consumer is now more likely to post a comment or tweet from a mobile device and the number of people using tablets has almost doubled in the past 12 months,” she says.

The report found that 65% of online Australians are now using social media and of those, 45% access it daily which is an increase from the 36% in 2012. The research findings also suggest Australian businesses aren’t building relationships with consumers via social media:

29% of small businesses and 24% of medium businesses that use social media do not have a strategy to drive traffic to their social media sites
Only 25% of small business and 28% of medium businesses that use social media measure return on investment (ROI) of their social spend
Investment in social media decreased in the last year with small businesses spending on average $1,970 (down from $3,410 in 2012) and medium businesses $11,780 annually (down from $16,920 in 2012)
Discounts and giveaways are the key reasons why consumers follow brands however only 28% of small (down from 34% in 2012) and 33% (up from 27% in 2012) of medium businesses that have social media sites offer such incentives.

The report also highlights the growing influence ratings and reviews have on consumers’ decision making. Consumers, on average, are reading four reviews before making a purchase and the proportion of social media research that results in a purchase has increased to 58%.

“More Australian consumers are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions. This presents small and medium businesses with clear opportunities to build customer relationships and potential sales, however our research shows that businesses are not effectively engaging with these channels,” says Brough.

According to the report, Australians use social media at either end of the day with more people accessing social media in the toilet, while general social media use in the workplace has also increased.

37% of users check social media first thing in the morning (up from 33% in 2012)
42% check it as the last thing they do before going to bed (up from 40% in 2012)
6% check social media while they’re in the toilet (compared to 5% in 2012)
34% of social media users now log on at work (compared to 30% in 2012)

Western Australia has the highest proportion of SMEs with a social media presence of 34% while Northern Territory SMEs are the least active with just 23%.

Interestingly, in the past year, SMEs in regional areas have adopted social media faster than those in metropolitan areas. Usage among regional SMEs has grown from 10% to 35%.

Australians continue to expand their social media networks with the average number of friends, contacts or followers increasing from 227 to 258 in the last 12 months. Facebook also continues to dominate as the most popular social media site, followed by Linkedin and Instagram.

95% of social media users are on Facebook (down from 97% in 2012)
Facebook users spend seven hours per week on the site (up from six hours in 2012)
20% of social media users are on Linkedin, 16% use Instagram and 15% use Twitter
Use of Google Plus has grown from 8% in 2012 to 15%
Pinterest usage is 7% and mainly restricted to female users.

Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares turns social media horrorshow

by Simon van Wyk ON 17 May 2013

Lessons in how not to handle social media were played out in excruciating detail across the social landscape this week. It all started with the appearance of Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. The experience did not go well for the restaurant’s owners, Samy and Amy Bouzaglos, who came across as wholly unsuited to running an upscale eatery. They swore at customers, wouldn’t accept a diner’s feedback and revealed how they resold cakes made by other bakeries at a higher price. Gordon Ramsay actually walked out of their restaurant, unwilling to digest any more of their unsavoury business antics.

The restaurateur’s exit sparked a torrent of social media shaming from people on Reddit and a volley of one-star reviews on Amy’s Baking Company‘s Yelp page. There the whole sorry episode should have ended, however the owners took it upon themselves to respond to the commenters on Reddit and Yelp by throwing a volley of torrid abuse back at them. It’s not pretty.

Epic meltdown on Facebook

Their posts started out defensively before degenerating into a barrage of insults and profanities. For instance, some of the owner’s cleaner posts on their Facebook page read:

The owners have since issued a retraction of sorts, claiming that the restaurant’s social media accounts had been hacked. Believe that if you want to.

The real irony in this story is that the whole thing started with the restaurant appearing on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – the show that is designed to help failing restaurants. The restaurant was already in trouble before the social media disaster. Now, while everyone on the planet has heard of the eatery and its somewhat combative owners, I’m not sure anyone’s going to be queuing up to eat there.

Of course Amy’s Baking Company is certainly not the first business or brand to damage their reputation and credibility on social media.

Last year in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, American clothing retailer Gap, got itself in all sorts of trouble by using the disaster as the springboard for an ill-thought through promotional tweet:

“All impacted by #Sandy, stay safe! We’ll be doing lots of Gap.com shopping today. How about you?”

It beggars belief that a company of Gap’s standing could let this particular tweet slip through their approval net. By way of an apology, the company made a donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross, and posted a written apology on their Facebook timeline.

Likewise, back in 2011, shoe designer Kenneth Cole used the Cairo riots as a platform to sell his new collection.

“Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online.”

Of course Kenneth Cole promptly apologised for making light of the riots in Egypt, but not before the Twitterverse was running rampant with a #boycottKennethCole and a spate of fake insensitive Kenneth Cole tweets.

Hijacked hashtags can also create all sorts of issues for unwary brands. Starbucks created the #spreadthecheer hashtag hoping to encourage Starbucks fans to tweet upbeat holiday messages under the hashtag. Unfortunately users hijacked the hashtag and tweeted out negative sentiments about the chain’s workplace practices.

In the same vein, McDonald’s oversaw its #McDStories hashtag fiasco where people began sharing some unpalatable stories about the fast food chain. One user’s tweet really set the tone:

“I used to like McDonald’s. I stopped eating McDonald’s years ago because every time I ate it I felt like I was dying inside. #McDStories.”

Typically social media meltdowns don’t have a lasting effect on brands. It’s more a matter of weathering the storm, and damage control. Of course we’ve never seen anything quite like the Facebook meltdown for Amy’s Baking Company, and while it did strike me as a media stunt gone wrong, I think this one may have long-lasting impact. That said, the business was already in trouble.

While the Samy and Amy story has made for riveting reading, there are a few takeaways that we should all take on board.

Don’t use social media when you’re upset. Consider waiting an hour or two – or better still, sleep on it. Things always look so much different in the cool light of the next day
Respond only to key comments and try not to be defensive. The best approach is to address the issues raised unemotionally to show that you are listening, and demonstrate that you’re doing your best to make amends. Certainly apologise if you need to
Don’t feed the trolls. While it’s important to respond to major comments – you don’t have to respond to everyone, as many of the commenters may be trolls waiting for you to stoke the flames. Silence typically works wonders
Never use derogatory language or make abusive and personal comments
Never use CAPS LOCK.

Social media ROI: What’s next?

by Mark Cameron ON 16 May 2013

Over the course of this social media ROI series, we have moved from theory and strategy to the practical implementation of a social media plan. We looked at metrics and measurements in Part One, discussed the art of growing your community in Part Two and developed real world guidelines for the different social media platforms in Part Three. The fourth and most recent article in the series examined the utilisation of social media data for lead nurturing and conversion. In this final article, we will look at where social media marketing is heading and discuss why your company should be prepared to capitalise on this rapidly- evolving space.

Before gazing too far ahead, one needs to understand that social media has forever changed the market and, as a result, the advertising industry is in the middle of major disruption. The thematic trend in these types of articles is backed up by an Econsultancy report, which shows that 71% of businesses worldwide are planning on increasing their spend on digital marketing this year.

What’s going on? Why is the marketing industry increasingly going digital? In Part One of this series, I referred to an article titled ‘Marketing is dead’, published on the Harvard Business Review website in August 2012, which can again provide further insight. It cited research showing that 73% of CEOs think that, “CMOs lack business credibility and the ability to generate sufficient business growth,” and 77% of the same CEOs have, “had it with all the talk about brand equity that can’t be linked to actual firm equity or any other recognised financial metric”.

These damning statistics suggest that in the current post-GFC world, the traditional ‘soft’ metrics so often used to justify marketing spend are failing to deliver. Business leaders want each dollar spent on marketing linked directly back to sales figures. The need for accountability is part of the attraction of digital marketing. Every activity can be measured, in real time, down to a single click.

A far more important factor is consumers driving real change in the market, forcing brands to interact in new ways. Social media and the consumption of content through digital channels has now reached near ubiquity. While this will not spell the end of TV, radio and newspapers, digital is capturing an increasingly larger proportion of market share. Today’s consumer is sophisticated. When she wants something, she wants it personalised and she wants it right away.Only the online environment can meet these kinds of demands.

Additionally, businesses are looking to invest in new talents and people experienced in the digital field. The majority of businesses do not have the skills required to keep up with the pace of change. An IBM study, ‘Fast Track to the Future: the 2012 IBM Tech Trends Report’, found that across four technology areas – mobile, business analytics, cloud and social business – only one in 10 organisations had all the skills it needed.

Within each area, roughly one-quarter reported major skill gaps and 60% or more reported moderate to major shortfalls. An integrated approach to digital marketing would address all of these areas, so it makes sense to invest wisely.

With all of this budget upheaval, the one thing we can be sure of is that the marketing industry is undergoing a transformation. When it emerges from this phase it will be permanently altered – and this is a really big deal.

As the famous management author Peter Drucker once said, “Business has only two basic functions: marketing and innovation.” Digital communication gives the brands of today the ability to address both of these functions at once. But it is going to take a drastically different approach to digital marketing to do this effectively. Banner ads and landing pages are no longer enough. The future of digital marketing needs to have social media, and the data it generates, at its core.

BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO INVEST IN NEW TALENTS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCED IN THE DIGITAL FIELD. A 2012 IBM STUDY FOUND THAT ACROSS FOUR TECHNOLOGY AREAS, ONLY ONE IN 10 ORGANISATIONS HAD ALL THE SKILLS IT NEEDED.

What will be happening in the next few months? What are the trends that brands need to be aware of? How can we see beyond the complexity of technology and find the opportunity that really exists? You can be sure that any strategy that is not focused on data-utilisation won’t get off the ground. As The New York Times stated in an article titled ‘Marketers celebrate glimmers of recovery’ in 2011: “Data rules… content may be king in media, but, in advertising, it is data.”

While I don’t have a crystal ball, providing commentary on the digital space in publications across the world allows me to take a step back and see how things are evolving. Below is what I see coming.

CONTENT WILL START TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE

Marketing professionals are quickly moving beyond understanding digital and social platforms and are now focusing on how to make their chosen digital communications channels come alive. A recent study by Econsultancy found that only 38% of companies surveyed had a developed content strategy in place, but 90% believed it would come into focus over the next 12 months. In the TV-centric advertising world, the creative firepower of the storyteller for the 30-second spot became the hero. Similarly, the skilful weaver of the digital narrative will be what every brand is looking for.

AGENCIES THAT CAN DEMONSTRATE ROI WILL LEAD THE WAY

The advertising industry is currently going through disruption. One of the major factors driving this change is the huge volumes of unstructured data available. Unlike having a set of predefined fields that fill a database, such as old style CRMs or competition entry forms, unstructured data is conversations, interactions and preferences such as Facebook ‘Likes’ that will be different for each customer.

The forward thinking companies are now firmly focused on generating conversion-focused insights out of unstructured social media data.

BRAND DATA PLATFORMS WILL COME INTO FOCUS

In mid-January, Nike quietly released a framework for developers to connect to its Nike+ platform. For those of you who don’t know, Nike+ lets you put sensors in your shoes and track how you are using your trainers.

In doing this, Nike has managed to build a data platform that extends its connection with its customers for the whole life of the trainers, creating much deeper relationships and new opportunities to sell product. With the release of the new developer framework, Nike is making a transition from active clothing product brand to active technology brand. It wants to effectively own the active lifestyle data space.

COMPANY INTERNAL INVESTMENT WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY

Not so long ago the terms ‘community manager’ and ‘social data analyst’ didn’t exist. Now every major brand is investing in resources with titles like these. Companies have learned, some the hard way, that community building is not only important, but requires well-developed skills.

BRANDS WILL WORK OUT HOW TO USE FACEBOOK

Most businesses have been lost when it comes to Facebook. There has been a lot of hype, many mistakes and the occasional spectacular success. The lessons from this experimentation have been learned and brands are looking to drive real business results from the communities they have invested in. There is no one ‘Facebook formula’, but there is a right way for each brand.

It is not only the brands who have been learning. Facebook itself has been trying to get its offering to businesses right. This year, we’ll see the social media giant step up its game and offer a range of enterprise- oriented tools and training to help brands realise the potential of the platform.

MARKETERS WILL BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT ‘CLOSING THE LOOP’

It’s interesting to look at the spectrum of data available from a marketing perspective. Facebook knows what people are doing, Google knows what people want, companies like Amazon know what people are buying and brand platforms like Nike+ will make it possible to know how product is used. Pulling all of that information together will be extremely powerful for marketers. Better products and services, combined with more relevant communications, equals happier customers who spend more.

Each of these developments illustrates the importance of making social media marketing techniques more accessible to the business community. It is far too easy to get lost in conversations about the technology in an industry that is moving at breakneck speed.

The technology is important, but it will only ever be a method for delivering a brand story. Storytelling is in our cultural DNA. Great stories capture the imagination and help us relate to the underlying message. For your business, compelling storytelling is essential for one simple reason – people do not really care about brands. It’s easy to forget that the business you live and breathe is not as interesting to your market as it is to you. And real customer loyalty is difficult to maintain. Developing a good story helps to make your brand interesting and attractive. The story about the business’ origins, for example, can help to put a human face on your brand.

Social media gives you the ability to tell stories in a new way. While no technology can help you construct a narrative, knowing how to use each platform correctly helps you be more effective in its telling. Finding out what sort of content your audience will engage with can be tested, and refined, quickly through social media. It’s then a matter of utilising social media data to refine and personalise your story.

There is no magic bullet when it comes to social media ROI. Of course you need to know how to use the tools, but what is more important is how you use them to engage your market. Invest in engaging your audience, and they will return the favour.

Aussies want brand info while Brazilian’s just want freebies on Twitter

by Marketing ON 16 May 2013

Australians are far more likely to have a genuine interest in the brands they follow on Twitter than their counterparts in the UK, Germany and Brazil.

A new study by Exact Target has found consumers’ online habits vary across the globe and had revealed that peoples motivation to ‘follow’ on Twitter vary from country to country.

The top reason for following a brand or organisation on Twitter in Australia was ‘to keep up to date with a company’s products’ and 36% of respondants liked to ‘to receive alerts related to developments within the organisation’.

The top reasons from the other countries surveyed were:
· Brazil: ‘to receive discounts’
· UK: ‘for more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.’
· Germany: ‘to receive alerts related to developments within the company’

Lee Hawksley, managing director of ExactTarget Australia explains, “While only 6% of the online Australian consumers follow brands on Twitter, Twitter followers are networkers, leaders and influencers that Australian businesses can’t afford to ignore.”

Twitter were also found to be less motivated by discounts and freebies than fans on Facebook or email subscribers. They were even seen to be more viewed as a place to gather information including: product and service updates, advanced notice of new products, alerts related to developments within the company, exclusive content and information related to hobbies and interests.

“When using Twitter, remember to consider your audience. Consumers want to be heard—especially the influential users on Twitter who follow your brand. Provide them with an intimate view of your brand, so they can share their ‘insider information’ with the rest of the world. Also keep in mind that many online consumers are monitoring Twitter, even if they are not actively participating,” Hawksley added.

Australians also came out as the top consumers for engaging with brands on Facebook, creating a tremendous opportunity to connect with fans on an individual level and drive engagement that builds loyalty and brand advocates. More than 50% of Australian consumers Like a brand on Facebook, compared to 77% in Brazil and 45% in the U.K.

The results are based on surveys from online consumers gathered over the past year in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany and the UK by ExactTarget and published in their 2013 Global Executive Summary.

The rise of paid social media

by Catriona Pollard ON 16 May 2013

Social media is an excellent way to build relationships with your target audience and customers as well as amplify your marketing message. Paid options offered through a variety of social media platforms mean businesses now have the opportunity to be even more targeted with their social networking.

A recent survey by Vizu found three out of four advertisers surveyed used paid social media in their marketing strategies, and 64% of respondents planned to increase their paid social media investment during 2013.

Paid social media options include promoted posts and ads on Facebook, LinkedIn ads, promoted tweets on Twitter and sponsored blog posts.

How paid social media works

Facebook ads – can be used to promote a new business page, an event or to direct traffic to your website and boost sales. These can be targeted via location, demographics and even interests so you can ensure you’re reaching the right people. Ads are charged on a cost per click or impression basis.

Facebook promoted posts – appear higher in the news feed than organic posts, so that means more people will see your post. Use Facebook Insights to see what your followers respond to most. You set a budget for the lifetime of the post and Facebook will estimate how many people that will reach.

Twitter – promoted tweets can be used to gain more followers or direct followers to a sales page. They are charged on a cost per engagement basis, with engagement meaning a retweet, reply or a click on the link.

LinkedIn – ads are positioned on pages throughout LinkedIn, such as profile, home or search pages, with businesses using them to promote services and products. Again, you can target by location and demographics, plus title and industry. You pay for the clicks or impressions received.

Sponsored posts – many bloggers now offer sponsorship in the form of advertising, or product giveaways and reviews. If you know the blogger connects with your target market, these posts can be used to build your brand and direct traffic.

Pros of paying for social media

Paying for social media can get quicker results in the target market you’re looking for. It works well if you’re aiming for these objectives:

Starting conversations – paid social media can allow you to specifically target your potential customers and speed up the conversations you have with them online.
Lead generation – drive traffic to a specific platform or URL to build followers or entice customers with a special offer.
Brand awareness – Facebook and LinkedIn ads can both help with brand awareness because you can pin-point interested potential customers who want exactly what your business offers. This is a great strategy to build an audience initially or increase your market reach with a particular segment of the market.
Social media promotions – if you already have an active social media network, a paid promotion for a new marketing campaign or competition can really ramp up your results.

Cons of paying for social media

As the cost of paid social media is usually based on performance through click-throughs and engagement, it is fairly low risk, but there are some things to consider before jumping into a big commitment:

Alienating your networks – in the same way that we often find something else to do during ad breaks on television, paid ads on social media can make people switch off your brand. Make sure any social media advertising you do is part of an overall marketing strategy so the ads aren’t the only time your networks hear from you.
Hitting the wrong target – do your research before investing in any paid social media because even though the campaigns are measured on performance, if you get the target audience wrong it will be a waste of your time.

How to measure paid social media

Click-throughs, extra followers and engagement are often used to measure ROI of paid social media advertising, however other metrics also include sales and increased brand awareness within the target market.

Social media is here to stay, and more paid options will become available as these platforms find more ways to help you amplify your message.

The lights are on but nobody’s home in the land of Google Plus

by Marketing ON 15 May 2013

It was supposed to be the next Facebook, but it seems social media users have turned their noses up at Google Plus with new reports stating the average user spent just seven minutes a day on the site for the entire month of March.

A Nielsen survey obtained by Mashable.com has found that Google Plus users were active for six minutes and 47 seconds compared to Facebook, where the average user is being active for an average of six hours and 44 minutes. A Google rep told Mashable.com the Nielsen’s figures are ‘far off’ from what the company’s internal data show. Nielsen’s figures are based on visits directly to plus.google.com in the browser, and do not factor in activity on other domains like YouTube and Gmail, which Google may factor in.

Nielsen is also reporting that 20 million unique visitors in the United States used the Google plus Android and iPhone apps which equals a 238% rise over March 2012. On desktop, Google Plus’s monthly unique views jumped 63% from the previous year to 28 million.

The figures compare to 142.1 million uniques for Facebook’s desktop site during the same time and 99 million uniques who visited Facebook via their mobile devices. Twitter had 34 million unique visitors on desktop and 29 million uniques visitors from their official mobile app.

The report also showed that 20 million unique visitors in the US used Google Plus on Android and iPhone apps; a rise of 238% in March 2012 compared to 99 million unique views for Facebook and 29 million unique views for Twitter.

On desktop, Google Plus’ monthly unique views jumped 63% to 28 million compared to 142.1 million uniques for Facebook and 34 million for Twitter.

Facebook is still sitting way up in front of both platforms with 700 million active users.

How advertisers can use social TV to their benefit

by Seb Rennie ON 9 May 2013

How advertisers can use social TV to their benefit

A world-first neuro study has served up some interesting facts on social media interaction and the first screen, writes Sebastian Rennie. The most important impact will be on when and how advertisers manage their in-program messaging.

Australians, like everyone else in the world, are watching more screens, more often and in more places. The concept of the second screen, or even multi-screening – engaging with more than one screen simultaneously – has been around for some time now.

Nielsen statistics show that the percentage of Aussies participating in multi-screening has been relatively static at 60% for the past five years. Conventional thinking, within and from outside the industry, assumes that if viewers are spreading their attention across more than one device, then TV must be suffering. According to such thinking, the second screen must be distracting viewers, resulting in diminished levels of engagement – a concern for both broadcasters and advertisers.

Eager to answer these concerns with some empirical data, MEC partnered with the Seven Network and Neuro-Insight to undertake a neurological study of social TV viewers and their live social interaction between the first and second screen. Good news – the study shows that social TV viewers’ engagement levels rise.

But first, here is an explanation on how we conducted the study. We recruited four different groups of social TV viewers and invited them to the Neuro-Insight lab. These participants watched a live broadcast of the Seven Network’s reality show X-Factor, while wearing equipment to measure their neurological activity. We left them to their own devices as they watched the broadcast and interacted on social media.

Neuro-Insight developed a bespoke methodology and technology for this task, enabling us to contrast the different behavioural states to measure the neurological change before, during and after social interaction.

Our goal in conducting this world-first study was to determine whether social TV is a threat or an opportunity for broadcasters and advertisers. With millions being spent annually on TV sponsorships, clarity around viewer engagement is crucial for both parties.

The study highlighted the rise and fall of the participants’ engagement levels as they interacted with the first and second screen. Of the 153 social interactions measured, there were on average four tweets per participant, with a high of 14 and a low of two.

The results challenge the conventional wisdom that second-screen usage during TV viewing negatively impacts audience engagement. In fact, by the end of the 30-minute show (and a number of second screen interactions), the cumulative engagement levels of the participants had increased on average by 23%.

The results offer some guidance to broadcasters and those advertisers integrated into a program. Producers can introduce triggers to involve social TV viewers earlier in the program, while brands that are fully integrated in a TV show can capitalise on the higher intensity of engagement, improving the effectiveness of their marketing investment.

Even more relevant to advertisers was the discovery of two memory states in the minds of viewers. The first is a “global memory”, where people store imagery, jingles and brands. The second is the “detailed memory”, where more detailed information around products, price points, website addresses and the like is stored.

After social media interaction, people’s detailed memory is higher than their global memory – this usually occurs towards the end of a TV show. That means social TV viewers are more likely to pay attention to and retain details on products and special offers than the average TV viewer.

This represents a powerful new piece of intelligence in the ongoing battle to improve advertising effectiveness. Advertisers can use this knowledge to improve the effectiveness of their program sponsorships and integrated advertising deals.

For example, they should serve up brand messages at the beginning of a TV program, when viewers’ global memory is more receptive, and push product specifics, price points, promotions and offers towards the end of the program when the detailed memory kicks in to better exploit viewers’ heightened receptivity to details.

Multiscreen usage is only likely to increase in the future, so this discovery comes at the right time to enable advertisers and their media agencies to manage the timing and content of their messaging during a TV program.

The results are certainly positive, but just because we are seeing engagement levels rise with social TV (with an average of four interactions over 30 minutes) there isn’t going to be a linear increase in engagement as the social interactions increase. In extreme cases, where viewers turn to social media every couple of minutes, I doubt they would be paying an awful lot of attention to the program.

Everyone’s on Facebook – so why aren’t the ASX100?

by Marketing ON 7 May 2013

Half of the ASX100 use social media – but only a third are choosing the social media platform that Australians favour, Facebook.

53% of ASX100 companies are now using Twitter, 27% are using Facebook and less than a quarter of the top 100 Australian companies are using both.

According to a study by Web Profits, 11.5 million Australians are currently active on Facebook but only an estimated 2.2 million are currently active on Twitter.

However, the results suggest that large Australian companies are choosing to use less populated Twitter to ‘hide’ their social output, forgoing the opportunity to connect with customers and stakeholders in fear of having their mistakes seen online.

Source: Web Profits

“The results indicate that companies that feel pressured by their boards to embrace social media are choosing Twitter because it feels safer,” says Paul Sprokkreeff, MD of Web Profits.

“Comments on Twitter fly by so quickly, while a faux pas on Facebook often sticks there for everyone to see. Rather than formulate a strategy to turn this to their advantage, many companies are confining their engagement strategy to tweeting the odd media release or pre-spun factoid to a handful of followers.”

Source: Web Profits

It appears that the big four banks are cottoning on to the higher engagement levels of Facebook.

The Commonwealth Bank leads the pack, coming in at number one of the ASX100 for effective social media deployment, with NAB, Westpac and ANZ coming in at 6th, 7th and 8th place.

“That the big four banks have caught on indicates that even traditionally risk-shy companies know that the blend of information and customer service that social media can achieve is a powerful marketing and loyalty tool,” Sprokkreeff says.

“I think we’ll see social media grow significantly in importance to exceed that of the call centre in the next five years.”

Salesforce’s social ad exchange connects social ads with CRM and social listening

by Marketing ON 6 May 2013

Cloud computing company Salesforce has launched a social advertising application that connects social ads with CRM and social listening. In what the company claims is a world first, Salesforce’s Social.com will allow brands and agencies to power social ad campaigns on Facebook and Twitter using real-time customer and social listening data in order to maximise return on advertising dollars.

Social.com is part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and in this move the company is doubling down on social advertising, aiming to cement its place in digital marketing campaigns. The main feature of this new self-service application is its ability to connect with and share data between other Salesforce products: Salesforce CRM and Radian6.

Australia is among the top five countries for targeting consumers with social ads. Social advertising spend is projected to double from $4.7 billion in 2012 to $11 billion in 2017, according to BIA Kelsey. Nielsen also predicts 64% of advertisers expect to increase their spend on social advertising in 2013.

“Social media has achieved a recognisable level of credibility in the marketing world and if brands don’t have it in their marketing mix, they are missing a huge touchpoint with potential customers,” says Jonathan Nelson, CEO, Omnicom Digital.

“Smart marketers are buying media in real-time and working with the latest tools to ensure they are delivering the right message, at the right time, to the right person, which is even more imperative in the connected, social world,” he says.

From bedroom to birthing room: Aussie blokes fine with ‘papping’ the inappropriate

by Marketing ON 3 May 2013

A Newspoll survey of 1200 Australians aged 18 to 64 has found that just over one in 10 Australian men believe it is acceptable to share pictures of the most inappropriate moments online, from snapping intimate sexual encounters, to women in the midst of childbirth (hopefully it’s their partner).

The poll also found 13% of Australians think posting an image from a funeral is fine, and around a quarter believe uploading a fight or accident scene where people are hurt is acceptable.

Uploading an image of a stranger who is unaware their picture has been taken is also fine, apparently, to 15% of Australians.

Men find uploading images from an accident site where people are hurt, during minor surgery, at a funeral, during an intimate moment with a partner, and while a woman is giving birth more acceptable than women.

Jackie Crossman, managing director of Crossman Communications, says that the trend towards ‘public papping’ poses a serious threat to personal privacy and raises the issue of consent.

Other such bizarre findings included 64% of those polled engaging in insolent texting at the dinner table, with the figure rising to 81% among those aged 18 to 34 years old. Tapping into social media, surfing the net, and sharing meal images, with 26% uploading photos of the meal they are eating, is also steady.

While 77% of those polled believe it ‘might’ be unacceptable to use a device while dining, or engaging in the other behaviours, it still doesn’t stop them, and continues to raise the privacy issue.

Web chat the preferred customer service channel, not social media or apps

by Marketing ON 23 April 2013

Consumers prefer to communicate with brands via web chat more so than social media or smartphone apps, a new study by customer service firm Fifth Quadrant has found.

More than 400 consumers and a total of 53 businesses were surveyed for the study that found web chat is the most used medium for customer service queries after social media and smart phone apps. The study noted that web chat was perceived to have the highest suitability for general enquiries, technical issues, purchase or sales related questions, and complaints or service issues.

The technology to facilitate web chat has been around for over five years, but only one quater of Australian businesses today are currently using web chat. However they are catching on, with the use of web chat technology has multiplying over the past two years.

Head of research at Fifth Quadrant, Chris Kirby, says, “Web chat has a great value proposition for consumers. It is a convenient offer of help at an appropriate time. When carried out properly, it is non-intrusive and simplifies the consumer’s experience.”

Three in five survey respondents reported feeling confident that their web chat services were well resourced and that they would be capable of scaling up support services in demand for the customer. However respondents didn’t feel quite so confident with their social media channels as a way to provide customer support and service with just under half being confident to scale up social media support in that area.

The way the different channels are managed might explain the disparity between the systems. Four out of five organisations left the responibility of the web chats to the businesses call centre/customer service enquiry divisions. Whereas traditionally social media and smart phone services are usually managed by the marketing or IT departments.