New Stats: Mobile Messaging and Social Media

(c) PEW Research Center

In today’s world, people — particularly young people — are continually finding and adapting new ways of communicating electronically to fit their needs. Case in point: 2015 marks the first time Pew Research Center has asked specifically about mobile messaging apps as a separate kind of mobile activity apart from cell phone texting. And already, according to a new survey, 36% of smartphone owners report using messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Kik or iMessage, and 17% use apps that automatically delete sent messages such as Snapchat or Wickr.

Both of these kinds of apps are particularly popular among young adults. Half (49%) of smartphone owners ages 18 to 29 use messaging apps, while 41% use apps that automatically delete sent messages. These apps are free, and when connected to Wi-Fi, they do not use up SMS (Short Messaging Service) or other data. Furthermore, they offer a more private kind of social interaction than traditional social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.

The results in this report reflect the noteworthy and rapid emergence of different kinds of communications tools serving different social needs. These new tools add to an already complex and varied terrain of online and mobile interaction.

Overall, this survey found that 85% of adults are internet users and 67% are smartphone users. Throughout this report, analysis is largely based on these groups.

Along with asking about usage of mobile messaging apps, the survey also tracked usage of a variety of social media platforms and online forums. Among the key findings:

• The proportion of online adults who use Pinterest and Instagram has doubled since Pew Research Center first started tracking social media platform adoption in 2012. Some 31% of online adults use Pinterest (up from 15% in 2012), while 28% use Instagram (up from 13% in 2012). However, none of the social media platforms measured in this survey experienced a statistically significant increase in usage between September 2014 and April 2015.
• In terms of user engagement, the proportion of Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn users who use each respective site daily has increased significantly since September 2014. Fully 59% of Instagram users, 27% of Pinterest users and 22% of LinkedIn users visit these platforms daily.
• Facebook remains the most popular social media site – 72% of online adults are Facebook users, amounting to 62% of all American adults. Growth on the site has largely plateaued. There has not been a significant change in the overall share of users since 2012. Those on Facebook remain highly engaged with 70% saying they log on daily, including 43% who do so several times a day.
• Some 15% of internet users read or comment in discussion forums such as reddit, Digg or Slashdot, while 10% use the blogging website Tumblr. Young adults are particularly likely to use both Tumblr and discussion forums more generally, and men are more likely than women to participate in discussion forums online.

The analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted March 17, 2015 through April 12, 2015 among a national sample of 1,907 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. 672 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 1,235 were interviewed on a cell phone, including 730 who had no landline telephone. Of the full sample, 1,612 are internet users. The margin of sampling error for results based on the full sample is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. Because many items were based on half samples, results based on internet users in this report have a margin of sampling error of either plus or minus 3.9 percentage points or plus or minus 4.0 percentage points. Results based on smartphone owners have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points. See the Methods section at the end of this report for more details.

7 Steps to Successful Social Media Marketing

Many clients have asked me the "secret" to social media marketing success. I always tell them, there is no secret, but you need a strategic plan. 

My advice, use my 7 Steps to Successful Social Media Marketing. 

1. Every business is now in the publishing business. 

You must create and share interesting and relevant content with words, pictures, and video. People are looking for solutions, for help, for opportunities to learn, and to share. Create authentic and meaningful relationships through relevant content that helps their life.

2. Social media is about creating strategic conversations that lead to meaningful connections. 

The goal is to create community. We can only talk in person to a limited number of people, however, social media allows us to listen to hundreds, and sometimes, thousands more, respond, and demonstrate who we really are and what we stand for.

3. Whenever we post we must ask ourselves some tough reminder questions:
a) Why would anyone follow us on (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc)?
b) Why does anyone care about this content?
c) Why are we posting this content? What is the action/outcome we want?

4. How can we engage our followers?
a) By posting relevant and interesting content that is meaningful to them 80% of the time. (Do self promotion only 20% of the time)
b) After posts ask questions that prompt engagement. (Have you tried this technique? Let us know how it has worked for you? I suggest a list of about 25 stock questions ready to be asked).
c) Offer incentives for participation. Before TurboTax was well known, the brand ran a contest on YouTube for the best rap (yes I said rap) music video about the product and gave a cash award. The brand had hundreds of entries and thousands of views.

5) Respond to posts quickly. We wouldn't leave a potential or current customer waiting at our business or on the phone for several hours or days, so why do we do that on social media? How and when we respond is seen by current and potential customers.

6) Find out your Prime Time: As you post you will begin to see when prime time is for your followers on a specific platform. In some cases it may be weekday mornings, in other cases it may be 3pm-9pm. Look for reach, shares, and comments, as these will give you clues to your prime time.

7) Be repeatable, relevant, and inspiring.

The 5 Lessons Marketing Students Need to Learn Now to Succeed!

Learn The Lessons You Will Need to Be Successful!

I was asked today what college/university students should be studying to be successful in marketing and/or communications. Having spent my life in journalism, communications and marketing, here are the "5 Lessons Marketing Students Need to Learn Now to Succeed."

1. Students first need to learn how to become a great storyteller, whether with video, online, or on social media. How to create interesting and relevant stories that capture and engage readers/viewers. That is a skill that is demand by almost every business today.

2. Students must learn and USE each major platform to understand its capabilities and the consumer behavior of people using the platform. Example: Most of the marketing grads at SU are not using Pinterest, therefore they don't understand why it is so engaging for women or how to effectively use a platform that so many women use.

3. Students need to learn the FTC rules on disclosure and how to create a social media policy.

4. Students need to understand the changing world of data gathering, privacy, and the marketing of data. This is a very BIG deal. It's not about big data, I believe it's about the BIG backlash that's about to come because so much data is being gathered and sold about us, and now being used for more than marketing. Every business gathers data, what position will they take on this in the future. It's good marketing vs. ethics/values. "

5. Students need to understand that communications, journalism and marketing will forever keep changing. You must be comfortable with change. The technologies will change. How we gather information will change. How we "engage" our communities will continue to change. And that's the key--it's now about engagement, not about posting or sending out information. In essence, engage your community or you are invisible because some other business in your category will do it. 

Finally, please remember business is about people. If you deliver remarkable service at every touchpoint the profits will come. Anything less than remarkable service is just average because no one will talk about you.

(c) Joe Barnes, Digital3000.net Please Share With Attribution

New Blogs: Great Reading About Emerging Media!

New Blogs About Emerging Media!

I'm teaching a great class on Emerging Media as part of the Integrated Marketing Communications Masters Degree program at West Virginia University. 

As part of the class the students have created blogs about Emerging Media. They have some great stories and I invite you to read about the content that is changing our world. 

• http://afitzgerald66.wordpress.com/
• http://arealdigilife.wordpress.com/
• http://cariembehe.wordpress.com
• http://companionmedia.wordpress.com
• http://emergingmediatoday.wordpress.com/
• http://lelandreed10.wordpress.com
• http://nataliewillsblogs.wordpress.com/
• http://sarabethoneil.wordpress.com/
• http://stephaniemarchant.wordpress.com/
• http://texty2002.wordpress.com/
• www.noelleabroad.wordpress.com

Redefining Marketing: It's All About Content and Relevance!

Marketing has changed. It is now about providing relevant content, pure and simple.

It's no longer about "marketing messages." Consumers are smart. They're savvy. They know when someone is trying to persuade them with a marketing message. 

Today's consumer is looking for interesting, relevant content. It may entertaining, dramatic, a heartwarming story, a fascinating testimonial, or a "how to" video. What consumers don't want are spam emails, claims that "we have the best service" (everyone says that), etc. It's about engaging the consumer with information and stories they are interested in. It's about being customer-centric. About not only listening to the customer, but living as the customer.

The only way to understand your customer is to be your customer. Test the systems, test your people, test your service. And when something doesn't go right don't be defensive, consider the information to be helpful feedback

A recent survey by Kronos found "68% of Americans say a negative shopping experience within a single channel negatively impacts their perception across all channels."

The Mobile-Social Mom!

"According to a new eMarketer report, “The Mobile-Social Mom: Speeding the Trend Toward 'Mobile First',” if you want to know who is moving over to mobile social media, look no further than mom. eMarketer estimates that as many as half of all moms with children under 18 in the household will use mobile devices to access social networks in 2012."

"Moms more likely to own smartphones, tablets compared to general consumers."

"Moms are on the leading edge of a behavioral shift that has marketers and social networks scrambling. They may soon become the first demographic group who will use the mobile phone or tablet more often than the computer to access social networks."

The Truth About Online Engagement

Many people talk about online "engagement" yet few take the time to define the term, create a strategy to increase engagement, and create effective methods of measurement.

There are many definitions of online engagement but let's keep this simple and use Facebook as an example. If your customers or potential customers "like" a post or respond with comments or questions, they are engaging with you. They latter is what you want.

It's not about how many followers or the number of people who "Like" your page; it's about the number of people who engage with you, your venue, your service, your products --- your brand.

Engagement means creating community, having a two-way conversation, having a dialogue with your followers. It means they ask you questions, and they share ideas that relate to your brand and other followers.  It's as if everyone is invited over for a big community festival at a park and everyone is sharing with each other. That's engagement.

You can increase engagement by asking for it. If you are a restaurant or grocery store and you post a great recipe for dinner, ask people to send you photos how it tasted and what their version looked like. Ask them to send in and share similar recipes.

You can track engagement month to month, year to date, and that month year to year. The goal is to increase the comments and the engagement.

(c) Joseph Barnes  www.Digital3000.net

The True Power of Social Media!

For those of you you follow Erik Qualman, he has a book I highly recommend -- "Socialnomics," which I use in many of the social media marketing classes I teach. And he has produced some amazing videos. Here's the latest that just goes to prove where people are talking!

The Magic of Digital Storytelling!

As you read through many of my posts you have seen that I talk frequently about the powerful magic of storytelling. Using digital tools you can create powerful digital "experiences."

Always look for the "nuggets," not just something that you can replicate or seeing a video and thinking "we can't don that." Look for the inspiration, the little ideas and build on those.

With that in mind, here's a very funny foreign commercial with some great surprising reveals.

The Importance of Having A Well Thought Out Social Media Strategy!

If you think having a well thought out social media strategy isn't important tell that to over half of the Fortune 500 companies. They are in the game and know how important social networking and listening to customers has become.

I've said it before and I will say it again: Be in the channels where your customers and potential customers are talking. Listen. Ask questions. Build community. Remember: Facebook is the 3rd largest country and Twitter is the 12th largest.

Now there's yet another research study about the importance of social media. Jive Software and Penn, Schoen & Berland found 78% of executives think having a social business strategy is somewhat or very important to the future success of their business. Sad but true---42% felt their social strategy was just keeping up and 33% felt they were behind.

eMarketer estimates 80% of companies with at least 100 employees will use social networks for marketing this year, up from nearly three in four last year. By 2012, usage will be even greater, and, in turn, efforts are becoming more sophisticated.

Any questions? Just watch!

How to Develop an Internet Strategy in Six Easy Steps!

The key to developing an Internet marketing strategy is to do it steps and be thoughtful about what you are planning and why.

1. Define your target.
2. What is your message? Focus.
3. What is the best platform to connect with your target?
4. When is the best time to connect with your target? (Season? Months? Day of the week? Time of day?)
5. Develop a plan for implementation. Make it step by step with a timeline and benchmark goals.
6. Implement, then evaluate.

I recommend you use a creative brief for social and digital media initiatives just as you do for advertising campaigns. It will help you focus. You can find many samples on the Internet at no charge.

(c) Joseph Barnes DIGITAL3000.net

Say Goodbye to Traditional Demographics and Segmentation!

If you still segment customers in the traditional way like women or men 25-54, etc., you are stuck in history and missing how to access true consumer behavior today.

Social and Digital Media have created a new playground where common interests and shared valued cut across traditional demographics. Let me explain:

In today's world someone 21 years and younger or 50 and over will be put into a "box" and traditional marketers have preconceived notions about who they are, what their interests are, their lifestyle, etc. And if they do that new research is showing they will miss out on reaching their target. 

According to "learning.org),
Today’s consumers have become
• Producers of content
• Programmers of content
• Marketers of content
• Editors of content
• And publishers of content.

At the Norman Lear Center they argue we are in an "Attention Economy," Everyone is a brand, and every act of communication is also a media campaign to market that personal brand. And,
If you want to participate in social media, you must attract an audience.

Their strategy? Find out what entertains your target audience. And as I see the future, that's where we drop old demographics. The water cooler conversations cut across all ages and traditional demographics. My iTunes playlist is hipped than my daughter's, but marketers wouldn't know that because they have me in a traditional box.

Smart Students!

If you get a chance I would encourage you to read the student blog from a class I am teaching at Seattle University on Social Media and Digital Marketing. The students regularly post what they have learned and I've been very impressed. You'll read everything from ideas on how to use QR codes to social and digital market ideas. Click here to read. 

Here's Why Social & Digital Media Are So Important

People sometimes ask me why social and digital media is so important. Here's why:

• There are now more social-networking accounts than there are people in the world. (In-Stat).
• After 23 years, Pepsi dropped TV advertising for last year’s SuperBowl to spend $20-million on a social media campaign. (PEW)
• There are more than 5 billion photos on Flickr (CNN).
• 74% of marketers who have been using social media for years, say it helped them close business (2010 Social Media Marketing Report).
• People spend over 700 billion minutes each month on Facebook (Facebook Statistics).
• 53% of the Fortune 500 have at least one active Twitter account.
• Twitter users send an average of 600 tweets per second (Twitter).
• 28% of U.S. online holiday shoppers are influenced by social media (Marketing Charts).

But remember: It's about creating a two-way dialogue, creating community, and listening and responding to your customers.

(c) Joe Barnes digital3000.net

Winning Storytelling Techniques!

The future IS content.

With that in mind here are some winning storytelling techniques to keep in mind whether you are writing a story, creating a video, PSA or commercial:

The best storytelling touches our hearts and our emotions. It could have  elements of drama, be heartwarming, be funny, or have a revealing surprise and be shocking. Emotion is the #1 key.

Look for story elements that "inspire" people --- and remember these two points: People want to feel "connected" and "accepted." When you create a story include elements they can identify with that are relevant to their lives. Then  engage your audience.

What should you stay away from?  Abstract communications are dull and dry because they are not populated with people but with things.

Remember, in the online world, whether it's a written story or a video, you have less than 10-seconds to interest most viewers---so what are you going to do that will GRAB their attention?

Stories are memorable when they are done right, and powerful and memorable stories can be told in as little as 30-seconds.  As an example, look at the simplicity and power of this video.
(c) Digital3000.net | Joseph Barnes

Social media for social change for social good.

Social media is so much more than marketing, creating communities, listening to customers and having a two-way dialogue. It's also about using the tools and platforms for change---real change---that makes a difference in the world.

Whether you are an individual, an organization, an association, or a company---it's your (our) responsibility to use these tools for social good.

I'm reminded of a story from 2010 in which a social media leader had a real epiphany --- a real "ah ha" moment about social media for social change. As he tells the story here he is pounding out his blog every day with thousands of readers when his wife comes home and says she wants to help a mother and kids after they became homeless because of a domestic violence situation. The writer took the family in and then  tweeted the need for $5,000 to help set the family up in an apartment. 

Was he surprised. By the next day people had sent in $17,000 via Pay Pal --- and he didn't even know most of these people. 

The moral of this story is to do the same thing. Use your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn connections to help others. Social media for social change for social good.
Joe Barnes