New research about digital marketing trends published today shows that social media engagement is rated as both the top priority and most exciting opportunity for companies this year.

But while the fourth Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing, published by Econsultancy in association with Adobe, shows a huge appetite for social media programmes, there is a worrying lack of commitment to investment in associated analytics and measurement. 

Research for this report found that, along with content optimisation, social media engagement is rated as the top priority for digital marketers out of a range of digital-related marketing activities and disciplines.

Asked to indicate their top three priorities for the year ahead, companies surveyed by Econsultancy and Adobe found that these areas will be more important in 2012 than other disciplines including conversion rate optimisation, mobile optimisation and content marketing.

Social media analytics lagged behind in ninth place. 

More than 600 companies surveyed for this report were also asked about the ‘most exciting’ digital-related opportunities for their organisations in 2012. 

More than half of client-side respondents (54%) said that social media engagement featured among the three most exciting opportunities, way ahead of mobile optimisation (38%) and content optimisation (37%). Again, social analytics is much further down the pecking order, this time in eighth place.

More at: http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8995-social-media-engagement-is-the-top-priority-for-digital-marketers?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Facebook is investing further in its outreach programme to retailers to bring clarity to the term “social commerce” and promote social integration on their websites.  

Gavin Sathianathan, Facebook’s strategic partner manager, is leading the social network’s bid to promote social commerce in the UK and said that agreed definitions are a key building block in its evolution. “It’s really important we nail what we mean by ‘social commerce’,” he said. “At Facebook, we do not equate ‘social commerce’ with opening a store within the network.”

The comments follow a story last week in which retail brands including John Lewis and Reiss told new media age that selling items via social networks, such as a Facebook Store, was not on their 2012 agenda, favouring to hone their m-commerce strategies instead (nma.co.uk 19 January 2012).

Defining social commerce, or “f-commerce”, simply as a transactional store on Facebook is a restrictive way of thinking, according to Sathianathan. “From a defininiton perspactive, it’s important we’re all clear on that,” he saidd. “When I talk to retailers about this, I try to make it clear that it’s about how we can bring social media to bear on the purchase process, be that in a Facebook store or not.”

Most of the discussions taking place between Facebook and retailers centre on integrating Facebook functionality, such as a Like or Shar’ buttons, into their own websites, according to Sathianathan.

Top of Facebook’s priority list are supermarket and FMCG brands, while those that have experienced notable success in their f-commerce strategy stem from the fashion and ticketing vertials, according to the social network. 

“We talk a lot to FMCGs and grocers [whose goods or services are not necessarily social] and talk to them about the social aspects of their products,” said Sathianathan. “For instance, a can of baked beans may not be social but the meal you have them with could.”

Earlier this week, Unilever used its Facebook storefront to help debut its Lynx Attract for Her brand – the first time it has attempted to appeal to female audiences with the brand (nma.co.uk 23 January 2012).

The FMCG giant sold all 100 cans it was offering via the platform, retailing for £3.25 each, within two hours of launch in a campaign that met most of its initial performance metrics.

More at: http://www.nma.co.uk/news/facebook-urges-clearer-understanding-of-social-commerce/3033576.article

More at: http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/11/facebook-ipo-infographic/?obref=obinsite

Starting with ‘smart TV’, YouGov says that only 15% of UK consumers say they will own one within the next 12 months. A multi-country study was carried out in November 2011 with almost 13,000 respondents and the full findings on technology device ownership, content and attitudes is due for full release in Q1 2012.

As we’ve covered heavily over the past few weeks, the TV set will soon become a key device that people use to access internet content either directly via a games console (such as the Xbox 360) or other ‘plug-in’ box such as Boxee or YouView (a new partnership between major broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel Four as well as BT).

Inthe area of smartphones, YouGov says that 86% of smartphone users ignore advertising on mobiles. YouGov’s Smartphone Mobile Internet Experience study tracks consumer experience of smartphones, mobile internet and applications, quarterly. The next wave of the tracker begins in December 2011 with a report due in January 2012.

Now on the surface this conflicts with recent IAB research that suggests 82% of smartphone users and 73% of tablet owners they wsurveyed (a total of 600 people) said that not paying a subscription but having advertising on mobile websites was the preferred approach.

With regards to radio, YouGov says that just over one in five (22%) of 18-24 year olds have listened to the radio via a portable radio set (including DAB). However, over one third (38%) of this age group has listened to radio streamed over the internet.

Finally, tablets. Russell Feldman, associate director of technology at YouGo says that nearly one quarter (24%) of tablet users access the internet in bed – which supports another suggestion from IAB that tablets are the ideal ‘downtime device.

IAB stats from last month claim that more than 50% of tablet interactions were found to take place in the late evening (between 7 - 12pm) resulting in tablets being the most used device amongst owners in the evening. Tablet usage then accelerates during the weekends with 25% of respondents choosing to use their device during their downtime and 49% agreeing the tablet is the device that best allows them to be entertained.

More at: http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8542-yougov-releases-consumer-predictions-for-2012

From: mashable.com/2011/12/15/branding-and-social-media/

More at: http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-analytics/the-science-of-sharing/

Research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) launched today suggests that consumers see tablets as the perfect device for late evening use when in front of the TV.

The study from research company Sparkler in partnership with panel providers On Device Research, found that 51% of all tablet uses occurred in front of the TV. In fact, tablet owners are 50% more likely to use their tablet in this situation than their mobile (35%) or PC (33%).

More than 50% of tablet interactions were found to take place in the late evening (between 7 - 12pm) resulting in tablets being the most used device amongst owners in the evening. Tablet usage then accelerates during the weekends with 25% of respondents choosing to use their device during their downtime and 49% agreeing the tablet is the device that best allows them to be entertained.

More at: http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8473-iab-research-says-tablets-are-perfect-downtime-devices

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