2013
Autospeak-Straight Talk contains articles covering digital and social media marketing social communities and events marketing
They may be the last age group to join in, but you can no longer say that baby boomers and seniors aren’t embracing technology.In the past four years, the percentage of people age 65 and older who say they use social-networking sites tripled to 43%, from 13% in 2009, according to a recent survey by thePew Research Center.
And 60% of 50- to 64-year-olds said they are on a social-networking site, according to the survey, which asked 1,895 adult Internet users about their online practices.
Those figures still pale in comparison to younger Americans: 89% of people aged 18 to 29 said they use social-networking sites, as did 78% of 30- to 49-year-olds.
And it’s not as though the survey’s findings reveal an obsession for social-media among older folks. Yes, a good portion of mature Americans are online and they’re using Facebook—but that’s about it in terms of social media.
“To the extent that people in that 65-and-up group are using social-networking sites, almost all of them use Facebook. Very, very few of them use something in addition to that,†said Aaron Smith, a senior researcher at Pew Research Center and a co-author of the report.
They’re joining in greater numbers “for the same reasons everyone else is getting on it,†Smith said. “Connections to the people they care about, whether those are family members or other loved ones, as well as to people who share similar interests, similar hobbies.â€
The embrace of social media often is driven by one’s friends and family joining.
“Generally, when we ask people why they don’t go online or why they don’t have a cellphone, it’s a perceived lack of relevance. That idea that, ‘this is a waste of time, there’s nothing here of value to me,’†Smith said (he added that, for some others, there might be financial or physical limitations).
“That’s particularly true for people who have lived perfectly happy, successful and fulfilling lives for decades without a lot of this stuff,†he said.
The question posed to survey respondents was: “Do you ever use the Internet to use a social-networking site like Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus?†(In previous iterations of the 8-year-old survey, the question included MySpace and Friendster. Remember those?)
The survey also found that Twitter is not yet a go-to site among older folks. The survey found that just 5% of people aged 65 and up said they use Twitter, as did 13% of 50- to 64-year-olds, 17% of 30- to 49-year-olds and 30% of 18- to 29-year-olds.
Job seeker? Facebook alone won’t cut it
If you’re a boomer job seeker, using Facebook is not enough to overcome some employers’ perception that older workers are not tech savvy.
Abby Kohut, a career consultant and author, said she urges job seekers to demonstrate that they’re up-to-date on technology.
By Andrea Coombes
DealerNet Services
Mobile Devices Accounting For Almost One-Third of Online Conversations Across Major Verticles
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(Posted on Aug 18, 2013 at 12:56AM )
A study of 100 million “conversion events†across 4 major verticals (telecom, retail, auto, and travel) and multiple devices – including mobile phones, desktop computers, and tablets – reveals that 31% of said conversions took place on a mobile device. The study, conducted by AOL in conjunction with the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), also finds that 65% of mobile conversions took place on a tablet.While Android and iOS devices each accounted for roughly 50% share of smartphone conversions, the iPad was the dominant tablet device, at 85% of conversions.
The proportion of conversions taking place on a mobile device has grown by 28% over the past year, according to the researchers.
Telecom appears to be the most heavily influenced vertical of the 4, with 37% of new plan and device purchases coming from a mobile device. Next up was retail, with 35% of purchases occurring on a smartphone or tablet. Auto (22%; referring to finding a local dealer, requesting more information, configuring a car, and travel) and travel (20%; referring to booking a hotel, flight, or car reservation) were relatively less influenced.
Consumers are now spending one-quarter of their digital time at home on their tablets or mobile phones, according to the study, and three-quarters of the mobile ad impressions tracked were viewed inside the home. While the researchers note that this “runs counter to the prevailing wisdom†that most mobile device use occurs outside the home, that view has been debunked several times, as discussed here.
About the Data:Â The data is based on 500 billion impressions served by AOL Networks during portions of 2012 and 2013.
by MarketingCharts staff
DealerNet Services
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has released a study that looks at the usage of social networking by age group.
This isn’t the first time this kind of study has been done but this one has two things going for it. The first is that it is current. The second is that it comes from Pew, which we have found to be one of the truly unbiased research outfits in the market. Current and not being spun as some kind of PR is appealing to us.
First, a look at overall use of social networking by age.
This isn’t the first time this kind of study has been done but this one has two things going for it. The first is that it is current. The second is that it comes from Pew, which we have found to be one of the truly unbiased research outfits in the market. Current and not being spun as some kind of PR is appealing to us.
First, a look at overall use of social networking by age.
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With 72% of overall Internet users using social networking sites it appears as if social media has truly arrived. But to whom? As one might guess, the younger the age the greater the saturation of social media use. But the spike in use of older age groups is interesting for sure. As marketers it’s critical to not assume that social media is just for the youngsters. That’s a mistake that no marketer should make these days.
Now let’s take a look at Twitter.
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Now let’s take a look at Twitter.
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by FRANK REED
Overall adoption seems low at 18% but considering the nature of Twitter, how it works and the ‘learning curve’ around it it may have a lower ceiling just by its very nature. Of course, with Twitter supposedly driving so much news these days that is a little scary since not everyone is using it to report and gather data so the potential for elitism is high. That gets compounded further with the bulk of Twitter users falling into the 18-29 age range.
Once again, is this data shocking? Not at all but it’s important to grasp who is using social networking so that it may be applied appropriately by marketers and others who are looking to reach specific groups with their message.
Were you surprised by these numbers? If so, what make you look twice? If not, what do you make of the findings?
By Frank Reed
DealerNet Services
Once again, is this data shocking? Not at all but it’s important to grasp who is using social networking so that it may be applied appropriately by marketers and others who are looking to reach specific groups with their message.
Were you surprised by these numbers? If so, what make you look twice? If not, what do you make of the findings?
By Frank Reed
DealerNet Services
Why Social Integration? The World Is Changing-Everything is connected
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(Posted on Aug 16, 2013 at 03:20PM )
Everything IS Connected: The world is changing. Marketing is no longer defined by lip-service promotions. Instead consumers are flocking to the Internet, seeking information about their favorite brands and products. They want the immediacy of networking; they want the ease of web site posts; they want instant communication.Â
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And they’re willing to give their loyalties (as well as their dollars) to companies that offer these things through social integration.
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 Social Integration and Business: ConnectedÂ
Social integration is the process of linking media forms to the Internet. It’s meant to increase a brand’s reputation, as well as subtly promote specific products or events.
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It’s also connected to the way individuals shop.Â
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Consumers are now spending their time--and their money--online. They’re seeking out company web sites, utilizing social media as a way to learn and buy. It’s estimated that:
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71% of users rely on online information for all of their purchasing.
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79% of users seek out company social accounts (like Facebook or Twitter) to receive updates and incentives.
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81% of active social media users favor companies and products found in their networks.
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70% of active social media users do the majority of their shopping online.
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The statistics are startling--if only because they can no longer be ignored.Â
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Social integration is linked to consumer awareness. Companies that embrace networking, blogging and more become part of an ever-expanding circle of accounts. They are connected directly to the demographics they need, bringing traffic to their sites and sparking profits every quarter.
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A business that isn’t integrated is a business that’s losing money. One Big Broadcast helps to earn those dollars back.
 Social Integration: What One Big Broadcast OffersÂ
One Big Broadcast is a social media platform developed with propietary technology. It delivers complete social integration through techniques like:
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Scheduled Content
IMGY Galleries
Private Communities
Company Profiles
SEO-focused Blogging
And More
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The purpose of these tools is to fully embrace the power of social media. Relevant content is offered to networks and engines, dominating searches. Niche marketing, along with mobile options, attracts targeted audiences. A site is fully connected to the Internet... and that allows it to be fully connected to users.
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One Big Broadcast pushes brands to the forefront of social media, integrating them into the consciousness--and posting preferences--of consumers. Its cloud-powered console brings companies and clients together.Â
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And this is essential.
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Contact One Big Broadcast today to discover the media connection.
DealerNet Services
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It’s also connected to the way individuals shop.Â
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Consumers are now spending their time--and their money--online. They’re seeking out company web sites, utilizing social media as a way to learn and buy. It’s estimated that:
Â
71% of users rely on online information for all of their purchasing.
Â
79% of users seek out company social accounts (like Facebook or Twitter) to receive updates and incentives.
Â
81% of active social media users favor companies and products found in their networks.
Â
70% of active social media users do the majority of their shopping online.
Â
The statistics are startling--if only because they can no longer be ignored.Â
Â
Social integration is linked to consumer awareness. Companies that embrace networking, blogging and more become part of an ever-expanding circle of accounts. They are connected directly to the demographics they need, bringing traffic to their sites and sparking profits every quarter.
Â
A business that isn’t integrated is a business that’s losing money. One Big Broadcast helps to earn those dollars back.
 Social Integration: What One Big Broadcast OffersÂ
One Big Broadcast is a social media platform developed with propietary technology. It delivers complete social integration through techniques like:
Â
Scheduled Content
IMGY Galleries
Private Communities
Company Profiles
SEO-focused Blogging
And More
Â
The purpose of these tools is to fully embrace the power of social media. Relevant content is offered to networks and engines, dominating searches. Niche marketing, along with mobile options, attracts targeted audiences. A site is fully connected to the Internet... and that allows it to be fully connected to users.
Â
One Big Broadcast pushes brands to the forefront of social media, integrating them into the consciousness--and posting preferences--of consumers. Its cloud-powered console brings companies and clients together.Â
Â
And this is essential.
Â
Contact One Big Broadcast today to discover the media connection.
DealerNet Services
QR or (Quick Response) are a two dimensional bar-code system.
Mobile QR codes is when a consumer uses a smartphone to scan these codes
to reveal their information.
Today they are used in many ways, from inventory tracking, to shipping and logistics,
to online ticketing, also to link to promotional videos on YouTube or set reminders
for upcoming shows. Other applications include putting Google Maps directions on
a business card, to linking to a web page, or even sending a text/email to the company helpline.
Here is an infographic with Statistics showing the amazing growth of QR Code usage.
DealeNet Services
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Do you really know how important SEO is? Seriously, do you really?You can’t just have a website with cars on it any more. You’ve got to make sure people can see it, which means you’re responsible for link building, citation building, site optimizing, blog writing, and social media work.
That seems like too much work to most dealers, but numbers don’t lie – and these numbers show just how important SEO is for continued success.
The first stat I hit dealers with is that there are 100 billion searches per month on Google1 - that’s 33 million a day. To put it in better perspective, if each person on the planet were able to, they’d have to search on Google 5 times a day, every day. This at first seems astronomical, but even today I’ve probably used Google 10+ times for non-SEO related searches. I usually use this stat to illustrate the importance of Google’s market share to dealers.  Frankly, Google rules, and it doesn’t really matter if your small business ranks high on AOL.
The second stat: 89% of consumers use search engines for purchase decisions as well as (3.) 71% of business purchase decisions are started with a search engine. I know, I know… That’s two stats, Bryant. I threw these together for a specific reason. It is in fact a ‘double-edged sword’ – regardless of the sector or industry you’re in, both companies and consumers are using search engines to start the buying process.
At this point, I’m usually steering a dealer towards answering the “what does this mean for me?†question. The next stat I use: of the 30 billion mobile searches a year, 12 billion are local.(4.) It is widely expected that in the near future, local searches will account for over half of all mobile searches annually. This is where I start hammering in the importance of a mobile site. If you don’t have one yet, you absolutely need one.
With the fourth stat, I try to hammer home the importance of the mobile site. This is when I tell dealers that 77% of mobile search happens at work or home even though a computer may be accessible (5.) As strange as this sounds, it happens more often than you’d expect. Regardless of where I am, even if I’m at my computer,  if I’m looking for driving directions, I use my phone. At home, if I am browsing on the couch, I am using my tablet. It never occurs to me to jump on the computer in the office, or to pull up the browser on my home desktop for a simple and quick search.
The fifth stat backs up the mobile aspect even more strongly: 46% of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website they had trouble accessing from their phone and even more are unlikely to recommend the site (6.) This is succinct enough to illustrate not only the importance of having good mobile content, but a site that’s easy to navigate and isn’t confusing.
The next stat is what I call “the closer†– 55% of purchase-related conversions occur within 1 hour of the initial mobile search  (7.) Simply and strongly put, mobile sites convert at a much higher rate than conventional websites – but if you aren’t doing SEO, no one will find your site… and no one will convert.
The next three stats further illustrate the importance of SEO to dealers: in all searches conducted, 70% of users click on organic results  (8.) that 53% of the organic search clicks go to the first link (9.) and most importantly, 75% of users never click past the first page (10.) This is usually when the bell goes off for most dealers. They finally realize that if they  want to get more clicks, they have to rank the highest in the organic results – and that won’t happen without SEO.
Stats even show that organic search leads are more qualified. SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while those archaic print or direct mail ads only close at a 1.7% rate (11.) Pretty crazy – leads from search engines are 8.5 times more likely to close than a standard outbound lead.
Most dealers aware of any of these points until we talk to them, which is why I’m sharing this post. In fact, Search Engine Optimization is still only an industry term that most people outside of marketing probably hasn’t heard. These numbers are proof – SEO is not only vital to maintaining a brand, it’s absolutely necessary if you want to stay competitive and grow your business.
Written by Bryant Goodall
DealerNet Services
 Stat Sources:
1 Search Engine Land – August 2012 (http://searchengineland.com/google-search-press-129925)
2 Brafton – February 2012 (http://www.brafton.com/news/89-percent-of-consumers-use-search-engines-for-purchase-decisions)
3 Brafton – December 2011 (http://www.brafton.com/news/search-marketing-alert-61-percent-of-business-purchase-decisions-start-with-search)
4 Search Engine Land – April 2012 (http://searchengineland.com/analyst-mobile-to-overtake-pc-for-local-search-by-2015-119148)
5 Search Engine Land – August 2012 (http://searchengineland.com/study-55-percent-of-mobile-search-driven-conversions-happen-in-one-hour-or-less-151432)
6 Gomez – 2011 (http://www.gomez.com/resources/whitepapers/survey-report-what-users-want-from-mobile/)
7 Search Engine Land – August 2012 (http://searchengineland.com/study-55-percent-of-mobile-search-driven-conversions-happen-in-one-hour-or-less-151432)
8 Search Engine Journal – April 2012 (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/24-eye-popping-seo-statistics/42665/)
9 Search Engine Watch – October 2012 (http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2215868/53-of-Organic-Search-Clicks-Go-to-First-Link-Study)
10 Hubspot – May 2011 (http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/14416/100-Awesome-Marketing-Stats-Charts-Graphs-Data.aspx)
11 Search Engine Journal – April 2012 (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/24-eye-popping-seo-statistics/42665/)
- See more at: http://blog.autorevo.com/2013/08/10-seo-stats/#more-3198