Five Friday Facts #42
News
News
South Korean social media budgets grow alongside mobile web usage
Tech-crazy South Koreans are embracing social media in a big way as they get increasingly connected via the ubiquitous smartphone. Marketers are quick to catch onto the trend as evidenced by increased social media marketing budgets and presence. In a survey conducted by KPR & Associates, Facebook and Twitter led as platforms of choice as organisations sought mainly to improve customer relationships (67.5%) and improve their brand image (51.7%).
Facebook is India’s top social networking service
According to a recent comScore survey, Indian citizens spend 25.2% of their online time on social networking sites, followed by entertainment at 10%, with portals and emails trailing at 8.8% and 8.1% respectively. Facebook ranked as the most popular social service in India with a market penetration of 83.4%, amounting to approximately 51 million unique visitors and with the highest engagement figures as visitors clocked an average of 4 hours in the month of June 2012.
Instagram and Pinterest soar in popularity in trigger-happy Asia
The growth in the popularity of photosharing social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest has been phenomenal in Asia over the past year. An Experian study showed that Instagram grew by 8,121% in Singapore, 843% in New Zealand, 362% in Australia and 132% in Hong Kong between July 2011 and July 2012. During the same period, Pinterest registered growth of 2,373% in Hong Kong, 798% in Australia, 643% in New Zealand and 623% in Singapore. Experian credits the success of both networks to their strategy of filling a gap in the market and leveraging Facebook’s reach to expand their user base. Given the very Asian penchant for snapping pictures, it’s easy to see why both networks have grown exponentially in the region.
Social and mobile boost growth in paid search technology
Social media’s impact on the future of pay-per-click ads is expected to grow the North American search sector from US$22.9 billion to US$26.8 billion in 2013. Research shows that consumers who see a brand on social network are 50% more likely to click on a paid search ad. This impact stems from social media’s visibility of activities from a trusted network of family and friends. For example, Google’s +1 button mean personal recommendations can be incorporated into paid search. Beyond social media, the mobile landscape is providing further opportunities for growth.
Automakers drive consumer engagement with Twitter ads
Adding wings to promotional messages and campaigns by Kia, Porsche and Nissan, Twitter ads have been credited with improving engagement and brand sentiment for the automakers. During the launch of the latest 911 model, Porsche saw its brand sentiment exceed the norm by 300% whilst 80% of consumers engaged with the campaign hashtag, and 87% interacted with promoted tweets. Porsche also saw its follower base increase by 1,743 on the first day. Looks like Twitter might possibly give Facebook a run for its advertising money.