In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, content is king, but context is God. It’s one thing to create a library of awesome content, but if context isn’t a part of your social media strategy, you’re going to find engagement challenging.
Never fear - we’ve done the groundwork for you. After days of trawling through research (and some 500 coffees later), we’ve shortlisted the following key stats to help you understand just how - and where - Aussies are engaging on social media.
Almost 9 in 10 online consumers use social media sites, with a third of that group accessing social media up to five times a day.
What this means: People are always switched on, and the frequency of use is indicative of the way technology has been moving too, with the rise of wearable devices and the internet of things further encouraging an always-on online experience.
The average Australian owns 3.5 internet-enabled devices, with smartphones being the most frequently used.
What this means: you need to be well-versed in understanding how content is consumed on smartphones and ensure you create content accordingly. That means more vertical videos, consideration of the length of content, and ensuring visuals stand out when people’s attention spans are shorter as scrolling habits speed up.
A total of 44% of consumers follow brands on social media, mainly for free stuff.
What this means: Sure, while discounts (62%) and giveaways (51%) are the most popular reasons people follow brands, research also shows that 50% of social media users are more likely to trust a business that uploads engaging content regularly. So, while the occasional giveaway is fun for generating high engagement, you CAN keep consumers interested by focusing on behind-the-scenes, authentic content that shows the personality of your brand.
Almost half of the social media users have provided online ratings in the past year (45%) with the average number of ratings being eight. Further to this, 68% of us read online reviews and blogs before shopping, averaging eight reviews before making a decision.
What this means: The customer experience - whether online, over the phone or face-to-face - is extremely important for generating new customers/fans. This includes customer service conducted over social media via messenger bots or community engagement. Taking time to foster your brand’s community on social will help your customers feel valued.
Facebook dominates with 15 million active monthly users - but Snapchat is still the fastest growing app in Australia with 6.4 million active monthly users.
What this means: Where you put in your effort all comes down to audience. While Facebook is considered the ‘all-rounder’ platform, if your brand is targeted to a younger demographic you may find you’ll have more traction on Snapchat where 49% of the demographic is aged 18-29.