â–¶ Social Media en Español: A social media gap that exists in the Hispanic market could present opportunities for communicators. The 2011 TeleNoticias-LatinoWire Hispanic Social Media Survey says 92% of companies polled have social media programs, but fewer than half have programs designed specifically to target the Hispanic market. However, 60% of those surveyed anticipate a budget increase for social media targeted at the Hispanic market in the next fiscal year. The survey also finds:
• Hispanic social media programs are viewed by respondents as equally as important as mainstream social media programs (69% for each).
• While 67% of those surveyed indicate their company has a Hispanic public relations program component, 45% use a Hispanic social media program tailored to reach that specific market.
• The same social media tools are used to target both the mainstream and Hispanic markets—though use of mobile is higher in Hispanic programs.
• In the next fiscal year, 81% of respondents anticipate an increase in the use of social media in their Hispanic marketing and communications programs.
Source: TeleNoticias-LatinoWire
â–¶ Data Extremely Relevant to PR Pros: What makes an organization relevant? In the first in a series of studies, Brodeur Partners set out to answer that question and others on the relevance of organizations to the public. Polling 2,000 U.S. consumers between 18 and 65, Brodeur finds that what people find meaningful in a nonprofit is very different from what they find meaningful in commercial organizations. Other findings include:
• What people find meaningful in commercial organizations does not change, regardless of sector. Considering professional services firms, high-end product companies and consumer products companies, what respondents thought most and least important were very similar.
• Many companies appear to have specific leading relevance indicators. Companies such as Apple, Target and Red Bull are distinctively “interesting and exciting.” Ford scores high on values. Google and Wal-Mart are distinctive in their ubiquity and would be missed most if they were gone.
• Among charitable and nonprofit firms, big brands dominated. Many nonprofits had distinctive profiles—they were highly relevant but in different ways. And there were some organizations that were surprisingly relevant and others that were surprisingly less so.
Source: Brodeur Partners
Nearly one quarter of social media messages contain links to content; 60% of shared content includes a link to an external site.
â–¶ Social Media—Not Enough Information: A customer service-centered poll by American Express reveals that despite the popularity of social media platforms, namely Facebook and Twitter, just more than 20% accept them as tools for finding business-related information. The poll also reveals:
• 70% of respondents are more willing to reinvest in companies they believe provide good customer service, compared with 58% in 2010.
• 75% favor talking on the phone to a member of the customer service staff, and 67% are interested in using a brand’s official Web site for the same purpose.
• Just half of those polled feel comfortable using “online chat” to find information.
Source: American Express
â–¶ Content Everywhere on Social Web: Internet users spend 53% of their time consuming content online, says a study conducted by AOL in partnership with Nielsen. And it appears that content is the connective tissue for these users, with 27 million pieces of content shared on a daily basis. The findings have important implications for communicators looking to better connect with online audiences. Other findings include:
• Nearly one-quarter of all social media messages contain links to content.
• 60% of content shared on social platforms includes a link to an external site.
• 60% of content-sharing messages specifically mention a brand or product name.
Source: AOL/Nielsen