Inspiring Social Media Facts You Should Know

2012 is dawning near and while the Mayans might be right, it is still very much worth investing your resources in social media. Here are some interesting facts about social media you should know and use to plan out your social media activities.

70% of active online adult social networkers shop online.

That’s 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user. Your business should seriously consider launching an eCommerce platform on Facebook. Moreover, use your social media channels to educate and engage users about your products, provide them with resources, and subtly lead them to buying your products.

37% of consumers access social media on their smartphones.

Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly. If your blog is on WordPress, download the WPtouch plugin.  Also, actively engage your buyers on-the-go: give them incentive for checking in to your physical store and responding to content in real time (QR codes for example). Expect this number to rise in the near future. With additional time spent on social media networks, your business has more opportunities to interact with your followers. Also make sure that your Facebook applications are browsable on mobile devices.

72% businesses who use social media say it helps with closing sales. 

Measure your social media ROI and get on board. Social media could be a great channel for your business to generate new quality leads and turn them into paying customers. Use your blog to make yourself stand out as a thought leader, aggregate other quality content by tweeting, interact with your fanbase through Facebook, share your video content on YouTube. The possibilities are virtually endless.

65% marketers who invest in social media notice SEO improvement. 

At least 65% of marketers investing a minimum of 6 hours per week in social media marketing saw improvements in search engine rankings. Do you need help convincing your boss regarding the benefits of social media? Here’s your pitch. Blogs and video are great in terms of search engine optimization. Better search engine rankings lead to more traffic. Now it’s up to you to turn that additional traffic into sales!

73% of European Internet users use social network sites. 

That’s 347 million Europeans. Have you targeted them? Maybe you should! Especially if you are running eCommerce with shipping. Create different buyer personas for Europeans because what might work in the US might fail in Europe. Different cultures need different approaches. 62% of Europeans have a Facebook account, whereas only 16% are registered on Twitter.

Offline brand experiences are the main online conversation starter.

Moreover, positive experiences are bigger conversation starters than negative experiences. It seems that people are more likely toshare good experiences than bad. So don’t be scared to create your Facebook fan page because you think you will create a medium for others to express negative experiences. In most cases, the good will outweigh the bad.

Prompt your buyers to share their experience! For example, if you have a physical point of sale, ask your loyal customers to go online and share their experience. Give them a little treat for doing so. More positive experience means your brand gets social proof – if 9 of my friends recommended a certain restaurant through Facebook, I would certainly be more inclined to go there and see what all the fuzz is about. Would you?

12% of smartphone users are using location based services.

Expect that number to rise in 2012. Also, 20% of location based service users check in daily. Integrate check-in features to your business. Some businesses already do effective scavenger hunt campaigns to engage their buyers. Now that Facebook timeline maps check-in’s, see if your business can make a fun and socially interactive game out of it.

28% of businesses outsource their social media management to professionals.

This number has doubled since last year (14%). If your business lacks in time and knowledge, it might be wise to consult professional advice and leave the heavy stuff to them. Outsourcing social media could be more beneficial for your

company both in terms of time and finance. It seems that more and more

businesses are starting to trust professional agencies to handle their social media management and campaigns.

44% of  followers expect the brand to provide them with exclusive content. 

58% are seeking product information from your brand. Meet your followers expectations – free ebooks, discounts, promotions, resources. Some of your followers are already your buyers but some aren’t. Providing exclusive content means you can raise the retention and at the same time get new leads.

Video ads account for 13.4% of all videos viewed.

Thats out of 6.9 billion video views per month. So how can your business use this? Don’t just make a promotional video – teach your audience how-to do something with your product, educate them or provide them entertainment.

Sources:

• Nielsen Report, Q3 2011
• Social Media Report, Q2 2011
• Social Media Around the World, Q3 2011
• MarketingCharts, Q3 2011

 

Posted on: October 7, 2011