Social media is a consumer driven interface, so marketers should be aware of the latest trends in social media behavior. Some of the latest findings come from Nielsen and McKinsey’s Social Media Report, which surveyed consumers to discover how they are now using social networks.
More Time Invested in Mobile
It’s no surprise that consumers are increasingly looking to their smartphones and tablets to access social media. Even though the PC is the most widely used device for social media consumption, the study found that time spent on mobile apps and mobile websites accounted for a 63% increase (compared to 2011) in total time spent.
Additionally, 43% of users said they use smartphones to access social media, while 16% connect using a tablet.
Pinterest Usage Increasing
Since its launch in 2011, Pinterest has seen exponential growth. The site has the highest increase in audience and time spent of any social network across all devices such as PC, mobile web and apps. Plus, a Harvard Business Review article stated that “Pinterest users reported a surprisingly high correlation between pinning and subsequent purchasing: more than 1 in 5 Pinterest users has pinned an item that they later purchased. In the social world, this is a high conversion rate.”
Social Care is the New Customer Care
Social care is providing regular customer service through social media platforms. The study revealed that one in three social media users prefers social care to contacting a company by phone.
Consumers use a variety of channels for social care. They ask questions about a company’s products or services on the company’s Facebook page (29%), on their own personal Facebook profile (28%), on official company blogs (15%), on Twitter (personal handle – no mention of company, 14%) and on Twitter (company’s handle, 13%).
Key Takeaway: Social media has conditioned consumers to get immediate feedback. As a marketer, the risk of failing to meet such high expectations is not just losing customers, but having negative comments about your brand blasted around the user’s network and their friends’ networks, says Social Media Examiner.
Social Networking Generates Positive Sentiments
It turns out that 76 percent of participants said they experienced positive feelings after engaging in social networking, including feeling informed, energized, excited, connected and amused. However, 21% reported negative sentiments after social networking; examples are overwhelmed, anxious and wasted time. 24% remained neutral.