New research has discovered that many major brands’ social media advertising strategies might be missing substantial segments of their target audience. The ground-breaking six month study, conducted in partnership with Qrious Insight, tracked the digital behavior of 15,000 participants through a dedicated monitoring application, unveiling surprising insights about advertising reach and effectiveness.
The results are thought to challenge conventional digital marketing tactics.
The Social Media Advertising Blind Spot
The study’s most striking finding centers on what researchers term “light social users” – consumers who spend significantly less time on social media platforms compared to other apps like mobile games, weather apps, navigation tools, and retail apps like Amazon. This demographic, far from being a minority, represents a substantial portion of valuable consumer segments across various industries.
The numbers tell an interesting story across different industries, highlighting a crucial marketing blind spot: businesses that heavily rely on social media platforms and YouTube as their primary advertising channels are potentially missing substantial segments of their target audience.
This means an overreliance on social media advertising can create challenges in reaching consumers who maintain an active digital lifestyle but prefer non-social apps. Let’s break down some eye-opening statistics.
Entertainment Industry Impact
The cinema-going audience presents a compelling case study. Of the 44 million regular moviegoers in the market, approximately 24% qualify as light social media users. More concerning for studios like Sony Pictures Entertainment is these consumers encountered one-third fewer ads compared to their more socially active counterparts. This means a significant portion of potential ticket buyers might never see trailers or promotional content for upcoming releases.
Retail Sector Challenges
The implications for e-commerce giants like Amazon are equally significant. The study identified 62 million retail customers as light social users, who encountered 30% fewer ads than regular social media users. For a company that relies heavily on digital advertising to drive sales, this represents a substantial blind spot in their marketing strategy.
Quick Service Restaurant Advertising
Perhaps most striking is the fast-food sector’s predicament. Among the 66 million quick-service restaurant customers identified as light social users, exposure to McDonald’s advertising was 40% lower than among regular social media users. This gap suggests that traditionally heavy social media advertising strategies might be missing a crucial segment of potential customers.
By heavily depending on social media platforms and YouTube as their primary marketing channels, all the businesses in the examples above are connected by the same common thread: knowing where their customers spend their time, along with knowing where they aren’t.
The Mobile Gaming Opportunity
Advertising in mobile gaming platforms presents a valuable opportunity, as these channels reach audiences who are significantly underrepresented on traditional social media and YouTube. This pattern holds true across all age demographics, with mobile game users showing notably higher engagement rates compared to social media platforms.
Strategic Recommendations for Media Buyers
To effectively leverage the mobile gaming opportunity, marketing professionals should consider the following criteria when selecting advertising partners:
- Portfolio Diversity: Look for programmatic vendors with extensive game libraries, particularly those featuring premium titles with high engagement rates.
- Direct Inventory Access: Prioritize partners offering direct access to gaming inventory, ensuring better control over ad placement and performance.
- Comprehensive Ad Solutions: Seek platforms that support various ad formats suitable for different stages of the customer journey, from awareness to conversion.
Strategic advertising isn’t just about identifying gaps in audience engagement – it’s about discovering where your target market actively spends their time. Whether that be within gaming apps, retail apps or forums like Reddit.
Looking Ahead
The landscape of digital advertising continues to evolve, and success requires staying attuned to changing consumer behaviors.
The key to success lies in developing a more comprehensive understanding of audience behavior and adapting advertising strategies to reach consumers where they actually spend their time.
For marketers and brands, this means:
- Auditing Your Channel Mix: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your current advertising channels and be prepared to adjust based on audience behavior patterns.
- Explore Alternative Platforms: Consider incorporating mobile gaming advertising into your marketing mix, especially if your target audience includes segments that might be underserved by traditional social media advertising.
- Focus on Engagement Quality: Rather than pursuing reach through a single channel, prioritize finding the right mix of platforms where your specific audience segments are most engaged.
Adjusting advertising strategies accordingly, not only can you improve your reach and effectiveness, but potentially reduce wasted advertising spend.
