Key Data Points from Hootsuite's The Social Media Consumer Report

I've been having a lot of fun during April with the team from Hootsuite around Grilled Cheese Month. I loved waking up to their compliment this morning. I'll return with encouraging you to follow them because they are an example of a company that walks the talk when it comes to social media content.

But on a serious not they have an excellent report out that you can download. See this post for details https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/rogerwilko_the-social-media-consumer-report-activity-7189634952676724739-hwGw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Individuals with low/no budgets can use the information to better guide their monthly regular content choices.

Small companies with budgets can turn those dollars into more revenues sooner.

Big companies with giant budgets can maximize the data to refine their strategy and empower engagement.

On the social media side you can work with us via day, weekly, or monthly backstage passes. Find out more at Bearfluencer.com

Now, let me throw in my numbers analysis side of my brain and I'll give you my take on some of the key data points to consider for your social media content.

You will see we tend to focus on the other side of the data point in connection to our suggestions. This is the side that is too often undervalued in data analysis.

Advertising Acceptance

?63% of users recognize the necessity of advertising for free social media.

59% think there is too much advertising.

?My thought is to target the 41% who do not think there is too much advertising. Remember people who only want free things that only benefit them are not good short- or long-term customers.

Content Exhaustion

52% of users feel exhausted by self-promotional brand content.

Then target the 48% who do not. Again, the irony here is a % of those 52 are self-promoting themselves in their post. They are the I don’t like it when you do it, but I can crowd. Again, not great customers.

Brand Content Preference

1 in 3 users would prefer if there was no brand content at all.

The majority 2 in 3 are not turned off by brand content.

Social Media Consumer Behavior:

61% have discovered new brands/products/services they are interested in from paid/sponsored social posts.

See paid does work, so don’t fear it. Test it with small budgets before a full launch. And remember on Linkedin you have to have a business page to advertise.

Consumer Actions Towards Brand Content:

?76% have unfollowed or hidden a brand due to posting clickbait.

68% due to repetitive or inauthentic content.

68% due to boring content.

63% due to angling for metrics.

Bad content creation practices hurt you because it limits your audience to between 24% to 37%. That's not a good thing.

Topics Preferred to be Avoided by Brands

46% prefer brands to avoid politics.

37% religion and spirituality.

31% gender identification and sexuality.

27% political policies.

24% racial equity.

This is situational. If you want to integrate politics in your brand then you must commit to it and focus on the 54% However, be smart and focus on political polices because 73% are okay with that topic. Similar with religion where they can expect 37% of their interactions to be trolling in nature. The numbers on gender identification, sexuality, and racial equity would be in line with people who have a bias on those topics. But don’t fear those topics because the majority are okay with the topics.

Generational Differences in Cultural Topic Sensitivity:

Gen Z is generally more tolerant of brands discussing sensitive topics than Baby Boomers.

Integrate this data point into the above. If your target audience is older their mindset will be more fixed than open like the younger group.

Consumer Engagement With Brand Content

87% of Gen Z and Millennials made a purchase based on organic posts.

81% based on shared posts.

85% based on paid posts.

Very good news for targeting younger audiences. If your target is older don’t overlook the opportunity to reach their children. They are in this group and will ultimately have to make the tough decisions.

Purchasing from Followed Brands

59% of people have purchased from brands they follow.

70% of followers have explicit plans to purchase from the brands.

This data point should encourage you to focus on engaging with followers versus growing. Prioritize interacting over attracting. And don’t be surprised that engagement will also grow you pages.

Followers as Potential Buyers

58% say following a brand impacts their purchasing decisions.

Another data point to encourage engagement over growth. There is money sitting in your follower count.

Content Types That Encourage Following

65% are drawn to brands that communicate in a relatable and authentic way.

64% to those posting content that inspires.

57% to brands with a compelling point of view in their area of expertise.

Use this as a guide to your master monthly content list. Be relatable, honest, hopeful, and don’t hide what you know.?

Active Shoppers vs. Casual Followers

Active Shoppers are more likely to engage with brands that post consistently and have something interesting to say beyond their products or services.

Reward the active and encourage the lurkers.

Sharing Brand Content

44% share content because they agree with it.

29% because the post was informative.

27% because it was funny/entertaining.

24% because the post was inspirational.

This is what will get shared.

Purchase Behavior

The majority of consumers across all age groups have made a purchase based on social posts from brands at least once in the last year, with 87% for Gen Z and Millennials and 79% for Gen X and Baby Boomers.

Yes social media does sell.

Engagement Metrics

Paid posts are the most likely to create brand awareness and discovery.

Organic and shared posts are more likely to drive conversions.

Remember this because all social media platforms what you to pay for increased reach. But follow that up with strong content that is not paid.

Sharing Motivation

78% have reshared a brand post that was shared with them.

?Compounding interests isn’t just a money thing. It is also a social media thing.