For those looking to boost their brands’ online presence, the Hootsuite Digital Report is the perfect place to start. The report, annually produced by the social media management site Hootsuite, looks comprehensively into consumer digital behaviour.

Below are 10 stats taken from the report that we believe can be used to help boost not only your brand’s online presence, but your confidence in communicating the right messages to the right people online.

53 million people in the UK actively use social media – that’s almost 80% of the country’s population! It goes without saying that if your brand doesn’t have an active social media presence in 2021, you’re missing a big trick. It’s not just about having an account either – consistent and unique content are key to boosting interaction and views.

More than 98% of users of any given social media platform use at least one other platform. This means that if you’re taking a multi-channel strategy, this does not need to include every platform. It’s likely that you will be able to reach your desired audience with an active presence on just one or two of the larger platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram.

Social media spending has increased from 13.3% of marketing budgets in February 2020 to 23.2% in June 2020. Crucially, this is expected to remain high over the coming years. Now is the time to ask yourself whether you are spending enough of your marketing budget on social media to ensure you keep up with competitors.

Baby boomers are a fast-growing audience online, in particular on Facebook and Instagram, with female Facebook users aged 55-64 posting on average 10 time per month. Consider the demographic you are trying to reach – are you using the platforms that will ensure your brand reaches the feed of your intended consumer? With more and more of the older generations online, ensure that you are taking advantage of this opportunity to make your brand known by new audiences.

LinkedIn has a higher advertising potential, reaching 55.8% of the total UK population, compared to Twitter, which has the potential to reach 28.6%. This one may be surprising, but it’s important in helping to consider which platforms you’re using the most, and for what purpose. LinkedIn is an incredibly useful platform for professionals and can help to spread news of not only your business, but of yourself as a professional. Using it to expand your network and connect with those in your industry will enable you to boost interactions with your company, too.

Search engines are the top sources of new brand discovery, followed by word-of-mouth, tv ads, brand websites and ads on social media. Have you ever Googled your company or brand to get an insight into what the consumer sees? Give it a go! Not all companies have the budget for tv ads, and that’s not a problem. As long as you’re presenting the brand in a uniform, clear and positive way across your online presence, you can’t go wrong!

45% of internet users use social media to research products/services, and this is even higher amongst Gen Z! This means that social media a growing critical aspect of buyer consideration. Consider what others are saying about your product/services online. Reviews and comments from existing customers are vital in influencing the opinions of others about your products/services.

The average internet user spends nearly 7 hours per day using the internet – that’s 40% of our waking lives! With a 9% increase since last year, this stat demonstrates the growing integration of the digital world into everyday life – a vital and ever-developing aspect of the marketing industry. Make sure you’re keeping up-to-date with the latest trends, the world of social media waits for no one…

89.4% of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 watch online videos each month. This becomes useful when comparing it to the 33.2% who listen to podcasts. Regularly scrutinise the type of content you’re publishing: is it the type of thing your audience will be interested in? Videos are often an effective tool that are far more likely to interest and hold the attention span of your consumer.

And finally, the UK’s total digital ad spend in 2020 was a staggering £22.07 billion– that’s 1/8 of Jeff Bezos’ net worth! The competition is constantly growing, but so are the opportunities to build connections, engage with your audience, and boost your online presence.

If you have any questions about boosting your company’s social media presence in 2021, get in touch!

The NC Group houses a wealth of marketing expertise, to offer our clients a full-service solution.

Source: https://www.hootsuite.com/pages/digital-trends-2021

Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash