Universal McCann’s annual social media tracker Wave has mapped key changes in consumer uptake and usage of social media platforms for the past four years. Wave 4, released recently, reveals dramatic changes in the way that consumers are using the internet to create and share their thoughts, pictures and videos.

The Universal McCann (UM) research study reveals that globally social networks are becoming the dominant platform for content creation and content sharing.

After four surveys of active internet users—those who use the internet every day or every other day—showing impressive growth for all types of social media, consumers are starting to focus their digital life around the likes of Facebook, MySpace and Orkut.

It’s not that consumers are cutting back on blogging or sharing images it’s just that they are increasingly opting to do it via their social network page rather than the likes of Flickr and Blogger.

76% of social network users, for example, upload photos, up from 45% in Wave 3, and 33% upload videos compared to 16.9% last time around.

The heavy and varied usage of social networks has proven that these sites are no fad. Not only have 96% of social networkers visited a friends’ social network page but nearly two-thirds of all active internet users have spent time managing their own profile.

Another key change to note has been the expansion of video usage, with significant increases both in the number of social networkers and bloggers uploading video but also in terms of the number of the active internet users watching audio-visual content.

Key statistics from the report:

• The total estimated global active internet audience is now 625 million people
• Mobile internet usage has now reached nearly a fifth of all active internet users. Seventeen percent now access internet on the move as well as at home, work or college
• Widgets continue to thrive with 34% of social network users installing them for their own use and 24% installing them to impress visitors to their profile page

Glen Parker, Research Director at UM EMEA, comments that “Social media is a very fast-evolving landscape and one that’s taking an increasingly important role in consumers’ digital lives. Brands that want to engage with consumers in these spaces need to understand how and where and why they are using the many different platforms that enable content creation and sharing.”

It’s All Going Social
UM concludes that every element of digital media is becoming socialised, providing marketers with new ways to engage a target audience like never before.

Wave 4 shows that social consumption of digital content is either already highly penetrated among active internet users or still growing rapidly. It also sheds new light on consumer motivations for social media behaviour. Through the research UM have observed that the desire to belong to something is as motivating as the desire to communicate and express one’s self.

UM believes that the engagement opportunities of social media are deeper than those of traditional mass media and that the power of social amplification is also much stronger.

The UM 10-step programme for successful social media marketing:

1. Listen to/observe what the target audience is doing in social media
2. Create a “social object” that is relevant to the brand and of genuine interest
3. Segment the target into tribes. Give them something they can join.
4. Allow them to engage via their preferred platform of choice—create multiple interfaces to your community
5. Make the experience better when shared
6. Optimise your content for sharing—particularly via newsfeeds and Twitter
7. Use paid-for media to get the ball rolling
8. Take advantage of extreme targeting offered by social networks
9. Make sure you have the resources to manage your community management and refresh the content.
10. Track the results and optimise where necessary

About Wave 4
UM questioned 22,729 active internet users in 38 countries between November 2008 and March 2009 for Wave 4.

Download the study here.

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Pity the poor marketer, nose pressed against the virtual glass, peering inside the Social Media toyshop.

“Why won’t they let me in to play?” he wonders.

TMW, a British integrated marketing agency, wondered the same thing. As TMW’s Darran Snatchfold noted in an interview with Brand Republic:

The failure of a sizeable chunk of campaigns to gain any traction in Social Media highlights our continuing struggle in this (formerly) new frontier.  Our biggest challenge – how to ingratiate brands to audiences in a media where the risk of being an unwelcomed intruder looms large. The answer lies not in what we can build in terms of techno-wizardry, but in what we should build according to good old fashioned user mindsets and needs in this space.

Already, much is known about what people do in social media and what roles they play. Much less is known of the underlying reasons why.  If we know the answer to that, we can understand how we can introduce enduring value and make the contact with our brand far more rewarding.

To answer this question TMW identified 16 reasons why people might use the various Social Media channels (from networks to online gaming) grouped into 6 key themes:

• DISCOVERY – for self-development or to learn from others
• ALTRUISM – to help others make the right decision or become involved in the brand’s product decision
• SOCIAL – to connect to the like minded, reinforce tribal identity or gain a sense of belonging
• FAME – for personal notoriety or to challenge their ability against others
• ESCAPISM – for entertainment and an escape from the daily routine
• EXPRESSION – as an outlet for their imagination or expression of personal identity

They then asked an omnibus research panel why they used Social Media. Darran reported back:

The study suggests the strongest motivator to spend time in Social Media comes from DISCOVERY and in particular the ability to learn other people’s point of view (true for 70% of active users).  However the ego-centric FAME drivers cannot be ignored, with 31% admitting a degree of enjoyment from being seen to be doing well in life by others – explaining the breed of aggressive network builders on Facebook.

Perhaps the most encouraging finding for brands is that 60% enjoy the opportunity to input into companies about their products or services. This is an open invite from nearly two-thirds of users to involve them in your brand decisions through the likes of community forums and FAQs.

The least surprising finding was that men think differently from women.  For women the strongest value seems to come from SOCIAL factors (especially staying in touch with existing friends). For men it’s more about DISCOVERY.  FAME and the ability to get their opinion heard by a wider audience is a greater motivator for men, EXPRESSION and having an outlet for their imagination more so for women.

Does age play a part?

Those who have grown up with Social Media (18-24 year olds) gain greater pleasure from expressing their individuality and building their notoriety (FAME) than their older peers.  Brands should therefore look to provide the platform for them to be heard and to compete, just as Adidas achieved with their 2007 Predator and Tunit Myspace campaign.

Whereas, for 35-44 year olds ALTRUISM and DISCOVERY motivations are particularly strong.  The clearest opportunity for brands is therefore to provide the tools to help them learn and allow them to help others make the right choice.

What are your recommendations for brands?

Firstly, understanding what drives your particular audience to create, contribute or spectate should inspire every strategy and is the key to unlocking the value exchange in Social Media.  Ask the question of your customers or target audience and build a solution around the answer.

Secondly, explore the full spectrum of ways to deliver value according to identified user needs.  It seems all brands are looking to either entertain or to connect audiences in Social Media.  If everyone is doing the same it becomes very difficult for any single brand to be heard amongst the noise.

Thirdly, get in touch dsnatchfold@tmw.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out more about the findings and their implications for today’s marketers.

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They’re Talking About You
A massive 80 per cent of people who use social networks have either chattedabout, commented on or reviewed a brand or product on an online forum or social network. That’s one of the key (and most alarming) findings of the 2007 Social Media for Brands Report, conducted amongst 698 UK adults aged 18-35 in June 2007 by search conversion agency Tamar.

The report also reveals that two thirds of 18-35 year olds in the UK are actively engaged in social networking and almost two in five (38 per cent) are members of two or more online forums or social networking sites. There is a clear correlation between age and social network use, with usage figures increasing amongst younger age groups, peaking with eight out of ten 18-20 year olds actively engaged in social networking.

They’re Listening To What’s Being Said

The 2007 Social Media for Brands Report indicates that negative comments posted on online forums and social networks put off customers, with more than half (52 per cent) admitting that’s how they respond.

Travel brands are most at risk

Travel products and services were identified as the sector most at risk from negative comments on social networks, with 58 per cent saying that negative comments would lead to them abandoning a purchase. This was followed by consumer electronics (e.g. TVs and computers) with 51 per cent, financial services with 44 per cent and communications brands such as broadband and telephone providers with 40 per cent.

Neil McCarthy of Tamar commented, “The rapid growth of social networks and user generated content is shifting the online balance of power away from marketers towards the consumer, and the effectiveness of traditional online marketing channels is decreasing. With so many consumers actively commenting on brands through social networks, online reputation is becoming even more important. Social networks are a large and unregulated channel with a massive user base, through which brands could see their good reputation built through other channels, undone very quickly.”

Befriend, don’t banner

The 2007 Social Media for Brands Report noted that nearly 1.5 times as many 18-35 year olds would rather accept a friend request from a brandthan have banner adverts on a social networking profile page. The best way to get users to accept friend requests was identified as through offering special offers and discounts (60 per cent). In contrast only 5 per cent said that they would be enticed by previews of forthcoming services, and only 10 per cent by exclusive products or services.

18-35 year olds are most receptive with more than half (51 per cent) stating the they would even be willing to act as a brand advocate (e.g. set up groups for brands, encourage friends to join and participate) on social networks in exchange for offers and discounts. This rose to almost two thirds (64 per cent) in the 18-20 age group, who are also the biggest users of social networks.

McCarthy concluded, “There is a clear need for brands to get their foot in the door of social networks, as these sites epitomise a new way of life for today’s consumers. However, users of social media are increasingly indicating that they don’t want to be advertised to by all and sundry, but would be happy to choose to have a closer relationship with advertisers they like.

“The first step is to understand how your brand is talked about in the social media space, and then decide on the best way of targeting a certain group of consumers. The approach preferred by the consumer is clear: brand owners must look to ‘befriend’ consumers on social networks rather than advertise to them, and the best way for them to do this is by offering discounts and special offers.”

Handle with care

The research results above fall into the “nice thought, proceed with caution” territory, in our humble opinion. Audiences circa 2007 don’t tolerate fools gladly.A recent example illustrates the peril of grown-ups trying to be cool: giant retailer Wal-Mart, has already racked up two failed attempts at trying to be Web 2.0 (their own social network, The Hub, closed after ten weeks; and a pro-Wal-Mart blog supposedly “written by two independent consumers” was later revealed to be part of a Wal-Mart PR initiative).

Wal-Mart launched its own “Roommate Style Match” group on Facebookearlier this month. The theory: that students heading to college would log on to Facebook to design their dorm room with their roommate.

As Wired notes on its blog network, so far the Facebook page has been hijacked and turned into a missive on the evils of Wal-Mart’s labour and business practices.

Of the more than 200 posts, only a handful relate directly to dorm decorating. And instead of color coordinating with roommates, users seem to prefer talking about how the retail giant “destroys communities” and prevents unionization.

To be fair, there was one comment on a 4-pack of men’s environmentally friendly organic socks for $4.

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A massive 80 per cent of people who use social networks have either chatted about, commented on or reviewed a brand or product on an online forum or social network. That’s one of the key (and most alarming) findings of the 2007 Social Media for Brands Report, conducted amongst 698 UK adults aged 18-35 in June 2007 by search conversion agency Tamar.

The report also reveals that two thirds of 18-35 year olds in the UK are actively engaged in social networking and almost two in five (38 per cent) are members of two or more online forums or social networking sites. There is a clear correlation between age and social network use, with usage figures increasing amongst younger age groups, peaking with eight out of ten 18-20 year olds actively engaged in social networking.

They’re Listening To What’s Being Said
The Report indicates that negative comments posted on online forums and social networks put off customers, with more than half (52 per cent) admitting that’s how they respond.

Travel brands are most at risk
Travel products and services were identified as the sector most at risk from negative comments on social networks, with 58 per cent saying that negative comments would lead to them abandoning a purchase. This was followed by consumer electronics (e.g. TVs and computers) with 51 per cent, financial services with 44 per cent and communications brands such as broadband and telephone providers with 40 per cent.

Neil McCarthy of Tamar commented, “The rapid growth of social networks and user generated content is shifting the online balance of power away from marketers towards the consumer, and the effectiveness of traditional online marketing channels is decreasing. With so many consumers actively commenting on brands through social networks, online reputation is becoming even more important. Social networks are a large and unregulated channel with a massive user base, through which brands could see their good reputation built through other channels, undone very quickly.”

Befriend, don’t banner
The Social Media Report noted that nearly 1.5 times as many 18-35 year olds would rather accept a friend request from a brand than have banner adverts on a social networking profile page. The best way to get users to accept friend requests was identified as through offering special offers and discounts (60 per cent). In contrast only 5 per cent said that they would be enticed by previews of forthcoming services, and only 10 per cent by exclusive products or services.

18-35 year olds are most receptive with more than half (51 per cent) stating the they would even be willing to act as a brand advocate (e.g. set up groups for brands, encourage friends to join and participate) on social networks in exchange for offers and discounts. This rose to almost two thirds (64 per cent) in the 18-20 age group, who are also the biggest users of social networks.

McCarthy concluded, “There is a clear need for brands to get their foot in the door of social networks, as these sites epitomise a new way of life for today’s consumers. However, users of social media are increasingly indicating that they don’t want to be advertised to by all and sundry, but would be happy to choose to have a closer relationship with advertisers they like.

“The first step is to understand how your brand is talked about in the social media space, and then decide on the best way of targeting a certain group of consumers. The approach preferred by the consumer is clear: brand owners must look to ‘befriend’ consumers on social networks rather than advertise to them, and the best way for them to do this is by offering discounts and special offers.”

Handle with care
The research results above fall into the “nice thought, proceed with caution” territory, in our humble opinion. Audiences circa 2007 don’t tolerate fools gladly. A recent example illustrates the peril of grown-ups trying to be cool: giant retailer Wal-Mart, has already racked up two failed attempts at trying to be Web 2.0 (their own social network, The Hub, closed after ten weeks; and a pro-Wal-Mart blog supposedly “written by two independent consumers” was later revealed to be part of a Wal-Mart PR initiative).

Wal-Mart launched its own “Roommate Style Match” group on Facebook earlier this month. The theory: that students heading to college would log on to Facebook to design their dorm room with their roommate.

As Wired notes on its blog network, so far the Facebook page has been hijacked and turned into a missive on the evils of Wal-Mart’s labour and business practices.

Of the more than 200 posts, only a handful relate directly to dorm decorating. And instead of color coordinating with roommates, users seem to prefer talking about how the retail giant “destroys communities” and prevents unionization.

To be fair, there was one positive comment — on a 4-pack of men’s environmentally friendly organic socks for $4.

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