Ink Foundry - Social Media Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing

thinktank research (via thinktank8.com)

Presented at TWTRCON, May 31, 2009

Summary:
Current Twitter users are early adopters of technology, entertainment and emerging services. They are more likely to use social networks and Internet 2.0 technologies to stay connected and be informed. Most are eager to learn about new products and services. They are loyal users, with 70% likely to continue using Twitter. As such, Twitterers leverage the power of word of mouth and are a valuable audience.

1. Twitter users are super engaged consumers.

• Typical Twitterer is a technical or creative professional in their 30s, who tends to adopt new products or trends more quickly than others. Almost all are on other social networks, two thirds watch online video, read blogs, and play video games. Over half have HDTV, forty percent have DVRs and about a third have smartphones.

2. Consider it the Oprah effect—most of the U.S. knows about Twitter.

• Over three quarters of Internet users are aware of Twitter. While friends (43%) have driven greatest awareness, a whopping 35% heard about it through television. Other sources of awareness include websites (22%), social networks (18%) and family (17%).

3. What does Dr. Horrible, coffee, Tom’s Shoes, flowers and a Sony Vaio have in common?

• They were all purchased because of Twitter. 40% of Twitter users regularly search for products or services online via Twitter. About 20% follow at least one product or service. Specifically, 12% note they’ve chosen a service or bought a product online because of information they found on Twitter.

4. Is the social networking and Twitter phenomena half empty or half full?

• It depends on the user. While 44% believe that Twitter has long term value, 52% believe it’s a trend.

5. Brands beware! Use Twitter wisely!

• 40% of Twitterers note the way a brand utilizes Twitter affects their perception of the brand. Two thirds would use Twitter to communicate good or bad information about a brand.

6. Make social networkers loyal: Cues from Twitter: easy, fast, and well designed.

• Social networkers note community and friends as top reasons they’re spending more time on social networks. Variety of activities (46%), ease (39%), and speed (30%) are key.

7. Search and find most popular, multimedia not fully adopted.

• About half of all Twitterers are using search and find. Less than a quarter are updating to blogs, posting photos or posting videos.

8. Ashton vs. CNN: News actually trumps celebrities! (but not by much!)

• About half of all Twitterers are interested in news and entertainment. Other popular Twitter themes include politics, products and services, sports, celebrities and restaurants.

9. Social networks and Twitter: It’s not just about finding your old prom date.

• Two thirds of all social networkers use them to connect and communicate. However, about a quarter use them to follow news, play games or professionally network.

10. Smartphones: A Twitterer’s best friend.

• Twitterers are almost twice as likely to own smartphones than Internet users. Top two phones include BlackBerry (15%) and iPhone (10%). Twitter users have advanced mobile behavior: half take photos, a third go online and twenty percent play games regularly. About 25% of Twitter users update some type of social networking status regularly via their mobile phone.

From a thinktank research study of Internet, mobile and social networking users, fielded May 2009, n=1,850, twitter users, n=665. (For the full report, contact Robin Boyar at thinktank research. The full report is available for $495 or $995 with an in-person presentation)

• Posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
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