Our Weekly Communications Round-Up: Digital, Social Media & Content

What do digital services, social media and content have in common? They are topics discussed in our favourite communications stories of the week.

Digital

The 2015 Digital Trends report from Microsoft Canada highlights how brands can get Canadians to use digital services and products. Microsoft partnered with Research Now to survey 13,200 respondents globally, including 1,200 in Canada. Below are some of their findings:

• 77% of Canadians are aware they are able to exchange their data for rewards and benefit; up from 68% last year.
• Number of Canadians using personal tracking tools has risen from 43% last year to 62% this year.
• 49% of respondents said they were more likely to pay attention to a brand’s message if it’s done at the right time and context.
• 46% of Canadians say they are more likely to purchase from a company that allows them to personalize and shape the product or service.

For more details about the report please view the article link below.

“The power and value of personalization” (Strategy Magazine)

Social Media

Fractl and Buzzstream surveyed 900 social media users to find out why users unfollow brands on social media, and what behaviours companies should avoid. We provided some of their findings here:

• 21% of survey participants said they unfollow brands that post repetitive or boring content.
• 19% say they would unfollow a brand on Facebook if the brand posted too often.
• Most unfollows go unnoticed by brand pages.
• Almost 60 percent of Twitter and Facebook users simply unfollow brands silently and less than 20% hide the posts.
• Around 10% of those who unfollow will instruct their friends to also unfollow.
• 10% will post a status update reflecting the change.

To find out what kind of content users want to see, what they don’t want to see, and how many users never unfollow brands, check out the infographic in the link below.

“Why People Unfollow Brands on Social Media” (Social Times)

Content

Yesterday, a colleague and I attended the Dx3 Marketing Conference, Canada’s largest conference and trade show. The conference is dedicated to digital marketing, digital advertising and digital retail. It brings agencies, brands, publishers and retailers together for two days of networking and education. We had the pleasure of listening to Keith Wachtel, executive vice-president for global partnerships with the National Hockey League. He discussed the evolution of partnerships in the digital age and to go beyond digital media when it comes to thinking about content.

You can read more about his keynote speech and how the NHL uses and makes content in the article link below.

“How the NHL is taking content-based marketing and partnering beyond video” (ITBusiness.ca)

Thought of the week: