Tablets Dominate Mobile Shopping

Mobile shopping activities are growing by leaps and bounds and tablets provide an excellent shopping experience for consumers.  New research has come out that chronicles how tablets are affecting e-commerce.     Knowing how active consumers are with tablets can certainly help your business expand its mobile shopping opportunities.

• Half of all mobile shopping activities take place on an iPad

• In the past 6 months mobile’s share of e-commerce has more
than doubled

• The average order from a tablet is over 20% higher than ones from a standard computer and 50% higher than orders from a smart phone

• As a device, tablets are selling 13 times faster than PCs

• In 2015, over 326 million tablets are expected to be sold

• It’s estimated that one in three US adults will own a tablet by 2015

What Does This Mean To You?

Your business can benefit from tablet users.  Tablets give your merchandise a bigger screen than smart phones provide and offer added functionality.
We’ve posted many times on the importance of a mobile site.  Tablets don’t diminish the need for a mobile site at all. You should talk to your developer and look into a tablet optimized site in addition to a mobile site.  This week we’ll be taking a deeper look at tablets, who uses them and the main ways they are being deployed.   For more information on how to get more results from your mobile offerings, please contact, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; tabtimes.com; cultofmac.com; moxery.com

Snapshot of a Pinterest User

Since launching just over a year ago, Pinterest has rapidly become the number three social networking site. For the unfamiliar, it differs greatly from Facebook or Twitter.  Pinterest is a photo-based virtual pinboard where users create boards and pin photos to them.  Being a visually formatted social presence, Pinterest offers your organization a great way to create awareness.

• Some of the latest data has Pinterest with
over 100 million users, but their growth rate
has slowed recently

• Six in 10 users are female

• Over half of users are age 25-44

• Half of users have household incomes of $50,000+, over 20% are in the $75,000+ group

• The Pinterest iPhone app has been downloaded over 250,000 times

• Over 20% of Facebook uses are daily Pinterest users

• Some of the top Pinterest boards relate to crafts, hobbies, design and fashion

What Does This Mean To You

Pinterest can be a great sales driver for your company.  It’s not just Pinterest’s rapid growth it’s the basic format and the user’s propensity to purchase that make it valuable.

• Pinteret is projected to account for 40% of socially driven purchases in 2012

• Buyers referred from Pinterest are 10% more likely to make a purchase and spend an average of 10% more than visitors referred by other networks

• Shopify, one of the major e-commerce platforms, reports that orders generated from Pinterest have quadrupled from September 2011 to April 2012

Pinterest is quickly gaining adoption and awareness, but you need to direct customers to your Pinterest boards.  Three-quarters of consumers who “like” or follow companies on social media did so because of advertising.  Social media success begins with creating awareness about your offerings.  For more information keeping your business top of mind and developing loyal customers, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: Forbes; thesocialskinny.com; Media Bistro; Mashable; Shopify; Compete

Snapshot Of A Twitter User

Yesterday, we provided information on who the average Facebook user is.  Today, we’ll take a look at the world’s number two social network – Twitter.  Twitter is rapidly becoming a mobile-first social entity.  By utilizing Twitter, you can connect with engaged followers where ever they might be.

• Twitter nearly 130 million active users

• One-third of Twitter users are over the age of 45

• Over half of Twitter users utilize the network via mobile device

• Over one-third tweet at least once a day

• Nearly 60% of Twitter users are female

• The average Twitter session last 14 minutes

What Does This Mean To You

Social media give you the ability to connect with a great consumer base with
high household incomes.
In the next 12 months in Metro Orlando, Social networkers are:

• 15% more likely to buy furniture

• 13% more likely to buy an appliance

• 17% more likely to buy a home

• Nearly 50% more likely to buy a mobile device

• Nearly 25% more likely to buy a vehicle

Social consumers are active buyers, for more information on leveraging these valuable consumers, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: OnlineMBA.com; Kalena Jordan, SearchEngineCollege.com; sitepronews.com; The 2012 Scarborough Report, Release 1

Snapshot Of A Facebook User

Facebook is the world’s biggest social network and to many consumers social media and Facebook are two sides of the same coin.  Many businesses only form of social media presence is a Facebook page.  Knowing what the average Facebook user looks like and knowing their social activities can help you maximize the impact of your Facebook offerings.

• Facebook has over 845 million active users

• The average Facebook user has 130 “friends” and the average visit lasts 23 minutes

• Over 45% of Facebook users are age 45 or older

• Nearly 60% of users are female

• 57% have attended college and roughly one quarter have a college degree

• Almost half of Facebook users have household incomes between $50,000 and $100,000

What Does This Mean To You

Simply having a Facebook page does not equal social media marketing.
Do you have a social media or Facebook strategy?
What are you doing to engage readers?
How are you leveraging your “friends”?
How often you post?
What kind of content do you post?
Having a Facebook page is just the starting point for creating a winning social media strategy.
How important is this audience?
In Metro Orlando, over 55% of adults have accessed Facebook in the past month.
Nearly 40% of these users have household incomes over $75,000+
For more information on to bring your business more success through social media, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: OnlineMBA.com; Kalena Jordan, SearchEngineCollege.com; sitepronews.com; The 2012 Scarborough Report, Release 1

Why Consumers Are Using Social Media

Recently, we’ve had posts on how companies are using social media and how consumers are using social networks to give companies feedback about products. Your organization’s social success starts with understanding why consumers use social media.  A newly released study looks at the underlying reasons why people use social networks.

• Two-thirds of online adults in the US utilize social media

• 67% adopt social media to stay in touch with their friends

• Over 60% use social media to stay in touch with family

• Half of American social networkers are on social sites
to reconnect with old friends

• Social networking is now the most popular online activity.  22% of time spent online is with social offerings

What Does This Mean To You

Think of social networks as a connection point.  Consumers use it to create connections or keep existing ones alive.  It’s also your chance to engage consumers and form relationships with them.  Social media can help your business extend its message through fans and followers.  It can also help you target specific audiences deliver exclusive content to your followers.  Social media is not on monolithic organism, they differ in the audiences they attract and the purposes they fulfill.   All this week, we’ll be focusing posts on the major social media platforms and the audiences they serve.  For more information on creating a successful social media strategy, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: OnlineMBA.com; Kalena Jordan, SearchEngineCollege.com; sitepronews.com

Consumers And Social Feedback

Last week, we had a post on how companies use social media in monitoring feedback about their businesses.  Today, we’ll look at information on how consumers use social media in regards to business feedback and customer service comments.

• Half of consumers said they are looking for an actual response from a company about a service issue

• 48% are praising a company for good customer service

• 47% shared information about an experience to a wider audience

• 46% vented about a frustrating customer service experience

• Just over 40% asked others about how a customer service experience could be made better

What Does This Mean To You

Imagine if a customer was asking one of your staff a question and your employee ignored them.
Do you think your shopper would consider that good customer service?
By not responding to questions via social media, that is exactly what you are doing.  But, its not being done in your store, it’s being done where all of your other customers can see.  And it’s being done in a way that makes it easy for your shoppers to tell all of their friends.

Half of consumers want to talk about something good.  Imagine the goodwill you could generate from thanking them for recognizing a positive experience?  You could be passing up the opportunity to boost moral by identifying a hardworking employee or an associate who went above and beyond.
Social media is a conversation and by not addressing problems or questions, you are doing harm to your business. Or, you could lose the opportunity for a virtual testimonial.  All the effort you put into your social offerings can be undone if your customer sees unresolved issues. For more information, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; Satmetrix

High Tech Devices And The Olympics

Last week, we showed information on how worldwide audiences would be keeping up with the 2012 London Olympic Games.  A newly released study focuses on the platforms that online US adults will use to get their Olympic fix.  One of the major differences between the two studies is that online adults here plan on being much more dependent on mobile devices than Olympic fans from across the globe.

• In the US, the average consumer will spend 6.7 weekday hours and 5.9 weekend hours watching the 2012 London Olympic games

• One in five will watch at least some part of the games while at work

• While over 90% of those who plan to watch will do so on a TV, 46% will also get Olympic coverage from a laptop and nearly 40% will watch on a desktop

• Over 30% of those who watch the games will watch on a tablet, male Olympic fans are 43% more likely to watch on a tablet than female fans

• More than one in four plan to watch on a smart phone

• Social media is going to be a big part of the games, 87% of online adults say they will post or text about the Olympics

• Over three quarters of social Olympic fans will post on Facebook, Nearly a third will tweet about the games.  Over one in four will post to YouTube videos about the Olympics

• Over half of these fans plan to cheer on a team or athlete via social media, more than 20% will talk about final medal results, 11% will post about the opening and closing ceremonies

• 60% of Olympic fans will watch the games with family

• The top three Olympic sports are swimming, gymnastics and basketball

What Does This Mean To You

The Olympics is more than just a time to wave the flag, cheer on athletes and learn about sports that you’ve never heard of before (Did you know there is actually an Olympic trampoline event?).
It’s a great opportunity to connect with consumers and develop deeper loyalty.
With so many people communicating about the games via social media, use your social offerings to talk about the games and give event results.
Maybe create a special offer for those who “Like” your Olympic content.
You can also create special in-store deals for those who show their support.
Point-of-sale materials like pins, wristbands, flags and other things can also help extend in-store sales.
The games offer a special bonus for those selling consumer electronics, 16% of shoppers will buy devices just to watch the 2012 Olympiad.  For more information on how to leverage the 2012 Olympics and get gold medal results, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer: TechBargains

Purchase Decisions and “Likes”

One question many companies are asking is what the link is between social media “likes” and follows and purchase intent.  There has been a few research reports on social media’s effect on consumer buying patterns and if a consumer who “likes” a product is apt to make addition purchases. But a new report has come out that looks at how social brand evangelism brand “likes” effect the purchasing behavior of friends.

• Currently, 18% of online adults said they would buy a brand if a friend “liked” it on Facebook

• The percentage was virtually identical between men (17%) and women (18%)

• Nearly one in four adults under 35 said that if a friend “liked” a brand, they would buy it

• One in five adults age 25 to 49 would be more likely to purchase because of a friends “like”

• Less than 10% of 50 to 64 year olds would be affected by a friends “liking” of a brand

What Does This Mean To You

One recent report showed that the reason most consumers “liked” a product is because they were already loyal customers of the brand.  The ripple effect of friends “liking” a brand could prove beneficial to your business and create new customers virally.  There are two things you can do to cultivate “likes” and stir social affinity.  First is rewarding those who “like” with valuable offers that are exclusive to them.  By doing this, you will also help boost long-term loyalty that will last long after them have “liked” your company.  The other things you can do is monitor and protect your social reputation.  If a consumer is moved by the social activity of a friend, they are likely to socially investigate.  If they see lots of negative comments, it could deter them from buying your brand or patronizing your location.  For more information on creating more sales through social media, please contact, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; Ipsos OTX

Building Loyalty, Getting Results

One of the most coveted assets any business can have is a loyal customer.  Loyal customers not only tend to spend more at businesses they patronize, they tend to forgive mistakes that other consumers may not and they are a powerful word-of-mouth extension of your brand.  A recommendation from a loyal customer to a friend about your business can be very influential.  A new study has been released that details what things consumers think are important in creating loyalty – these are things your business can employ to inspire loyalty among customers and increase your bottom line.

• The average American consumer belongs to 18 different loyalty programs of one kind or another

• Over one-third of online adults said that providing excellent 24/7 customer service was the best way to create a loyal customer

• 20% said that rewarding customers for purchases, positive feedback and referrals was a great way to develop loyalty

• 13% indicated that sending them exclusive or relevant offers and specials would inspire loyalty

• 12% said loyalty could be developed through providing personalized products & services and 10% said simply knowing me when I call or visit would build loyalty

What Does This Mean To You

Most every business needs as many loyal customers as they can get.  Not just to keep the registers ringing, but also to spread the word about everything they can offer.  Social media has given shoppers a platform to either crow or complain about companies or the service they receive.  Loyal customers can be your social brand evangelist. There are digital tools that can help you achieive many of the suggestions that came out of the study.
Customer Service – Is your website easily navigate-able? Is the information up to date? Do you have a
live chat area where customers can interact with staff? Does your mobile site offer mapping, directions and a click-to-call feature? Are you incentivizing staff to perform top-notch customer service
Shopper Rewards – Does your company offer a points-for-purchase program? Do you monitor social media and thank customers for feedback – positive or negative? Are you looking at geo-location social networks like FourSquare and rewarding customers for checking in?
Targeted Offers – Are you collecting email addresses and text information? Are you adequately informing customers up front how and how often you will contact them? Do you legally know what your
responsibilities are?  Are your offers truly targeted and giving the receiver value?  Are you asking them
any questions that may help you develop targeted offers?
Every business is different.  There is no one cookie cutter approach to develop loyal customers. By asking questions about your current efforts and leveraging technology, your business can create a loyalty strategy that is unique to your needs.  For more information on digital tools that can help you
win loyal customers, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: COLLOGUY; ClickFox; eMarketer

More Businesses Moving To Mobile

Consumers are fully engaged with mobile – not just as a communication tool but as a shopping companion and product research tool.  Despite the huge amount of research into consumer’s mobile appetite, many businesses are still not players in the mobile arena.  A new research report has been released and it chronicles the growth in companies planning to use mobile as a marketing channel and what tools they plan to employ.

• Worldwide, 45% of companies are using mobile as a marketing platform

• Among the 55% who are not, over 40% plan on entering the mobile space in the next year, one-third expect to be there in a year or more.  25% do not intend to develop a mobile solution

• The most used mobile marketing tools are mobile web sites, 70% of companies using mobile have a mobile site, 55% are using mobile apps

• Nearly half are using QR codes and four in 10 have a SMS/MMS solution
in place

• Over one-third of companies are advertising on mobile sites

• 24% use mobile push notifications triggered via email or CRM systems and 23% are involved in mobile search

• Just over one in 10 are utilizing geo-location mobile marketing capabilities

What Does This Mean To You

The effect of mobile movement depends on your current mobile situation.
If you have a mobile solution in place it means more competition for the mobile shopper. It means that you will need to investigate how new functionality to  your site will make it more effective than the competition.  It also means that shoppers are exposed to more messages and yours will need to be more visible to remain effective.
If you do not have a mobile solution, it means you will soon be part of a dwindling minority.  It also means there are more options for shoppers to turn to and you will have limited access to those shoppers.  It means that your competitors that have recently invested in mobile have something that will set them apart from you.
Mobile is a consumer driven phenomenon.  Your customers are using mobile devices and are relying on them to make their lives more convenient.  For more information on either developing a mobile solution or making your current one more robust, please contact your Orlando Sentinel Media Group representative or:
Al Fiala
Advertising Research Manager
407.420.5702
afiala@orlandosentinel.com
www.orlandosentinel.com/mediakit

Source: eMarketer; StrongMail