Whether you are a digital marketing professional, or a tween on social media, everyone knows that digital marketing is quickly becoming the most cost and time effective means of marketing. But digital marketing is a fickle beast, with constantly fluctuating trends and what may have worked last year (or even last month) may not necessarily work now. In an effort to keep up with the pre-teen-like mood swings of digital marketing, we have compiled a list of interesting statistics about digital marketing. Along with these statistics, we will provide insights into what the stats may mean for the future of digital marketing.
1. Facebook post character count
According to researchers Daniella Franco and Kimi Mongello, Facebook posts with 40 characters or less get 86% more engagement than their long-winded counterparts. If a traditional marketer thinks grabbing the attention of a passer-by via a billboard is difficult, then they cannot fathom the fraction of seconds social marketers have to capture an audience’s attention. A social browser is likely scrolling through their Facebook feed at supersonic speeds, particularly when they realize they content is not posted by one of their friends. By having a shorter post, you have a higher chance of quickly conveying your message than if you have a lengthy post.
2. Yahoo’s display vs. PPC revenue
Yahoo’s display ad revenue in the third quarter was down five percent year over year, ending at a measly $447 million. However, Yahoo’s deal with Microsoft’s Bing has been paying off, showing price-per-click (PPC) revenue up by 17%, which lead to a 4% rise in revenue. This stat shows display ads may finally be reaching the end of their rope. Internet-savvy consumers are not likely to click on a display ad, and studies show that the majority of Internet users have trained their brains to block out display ads all together. However, with strategic PPC campaigns, brands can effectively place themselves in the face of the customer when they are actively engaging in a purchasing behavior (i.e. searching specific keyterms).
3. Tumblr on the rise
For anyone who has discounted Tumblr as a silly blog site where teens go to write about their kitten named “Mittens,” think again. Tumblr now has over 420 million monthly visitors and has grown to hosting over 205 million blogs. Smart brands are hopping on the Tumblr bandwagon. Earlier this month, Starbucks was the first brand to buy ad space in the form of the Tumblr dot, and was well received, and even embraced, by the Tumblr community. Starbucks is not alone, in fact, 260 of the world largest brands are marketing on Tumblr, including MasterCard, Gatorade, and BMW.
4. Millennials get the news
A recent survey performed by Cassandra Report found over 60% of millennials use social media as their primary source for news. This statistic tells us that millennials are hungry for information, and want to stay in the know; beyond knowing what their first cousin twice removed is eating for lunch. If a marketer provides content that a millennial finds compelling, that marketer has a better chance at enticing the reader to further engage with the brand. Believe it or not, social media is used for more than just cute pictures of hybrid animals and old classmate “investigations.”
By looking at the past, we can make educated decisions for the future (if only we had a magic crystal ball). The key point to remember, though, is that digital marketing is always changing. It is important to keep your ear to the ground and an eye on the sky to stay abreast of the ever-changing tides of digital marketing.
