As one of Surrey’s fastest-growing web design agencies, we’re always looking at trends in how consumers are sharing content. Understanding the behaviour that leads to links, videos and images being spread via social networks informs web design, mobile optimisation and app development, as well as social media strategy; all things we specialise in here at Thunderbolt Digital.
As all digital marketers know, content is king. Getting your consumers sharing content across key social networks will improve your website’s search rankings and help to raise awareness of your brand through peer to peer recommendation. So we’ve collated five key findings that have emerged from recent research that should help shape your content strategy.
1. People are more likely to share on mobile
Recent research by Share This, the company that builds sharing widgets for websites and publishers, found that sharing content from mobile has leapt in recent years, with people now twice as likely to share content on social networks from a mobile device as from a traditional desktop or laptop. This isn’t surprising but it’s important to know that Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are the networks that are driving this surge. So brands need to think about how they can utilise snappy but engaging posts, tweets and pins to get people sharing whilst they’re on the move.
2. Tablet sharing peaks with Pinterest
An interesting insight from the Share This study is that people love to share beautiful imagery on iPads and other tablets. Pinterest, in particular, is being used to share content on larger screened devices, moving above Facebook and Twitter in the evenings. Even more telling is the fact that food and drink, fashion and homewares are amongst the most shared sectors on iPads, showing that brands who lend themselves to highly visual content can really win on Pinterest.
3. Email sharing rooted to the desktop
Several reports into email marketing show that sharing of email content is still largely desktop based. It’s still relatively slow to take off on mobile, even though the number of people reading email on mobile has soared in the last couple of years. This needs to be considered when sourcing content via email marketing. Think about timings and the types of content people will be looking to share whilst in the office.
4. Daytime desktop sharing, rush hour mobile madness
Various studies by KISSmetrics Web Analytics have shown that whilst consumer usage on social networks is growing on mobiles, there is still a substantial amount of activity on PCs and Macs through the daytime, from 9am onwards while people are at their desks. Mobile usage then grows from 3pm onwards reaching a peak between 5pm and 7pm as people commute. This can inform your content posting strategy. Consider sending email content through the day and broadcasting fun, social posts more suited for mobile during the rush hour window.
5. Targeting mums? Get on Pinterest
Does your business target mums? They’re a profitable group and they love sharing content with their friends according to research by the advertising agency, Digitas. They found that mums are three times as likely to share content socially as average users. Whilst it’s not surprising that parenting and entertainment content were those most shared, the study also revealed that mums spend a disproportionate amount of time on Pinterest and online games compared to the average user.
For help with your content, social media strategy, and Search Engine Optimisation, give us a call on 01252 413757. We are a full-service digital agency based in Surrey, specialising in web design and online marketing. We love to help local businesses thrive so get in touch!
Photo credit: Jason A. Howie via photopin cc