Understanding your customer is the first step in designing a marketing campaign. By examining the online behaviours of your consumers, you can be sure to deliver the right message, to the right audiences, through the right channel, at the right time.
Consumer’s initial online activities tell us something about their priorities and motivations as they start their day. Understanding their mindset, whether it be business, social or news focused, as well as the device through which they access their first online content, provides valuable insights into the most effective ways to reach consumers wherever they are.
An overwhelming 73% of UK consumers check their email first thing in the morning, with 15% checking Facebook or other social media sites first and only 5% choosing to look at news websites. It’s important to keep in mind that while email may be the go-to place in the morning, this does not mean that consumers do not also check Facebook, Twitter and search portals frequently. Email is simply the first priority as consumers start their digital day.
These statistics tell a different story for the under 24s, as 36% of consumers aged 18-24 and 53% of 15-17 year olds check Facebook and other social media sites first thing in the morning. Their device of choice is a mobile phone, while older consumers are more likely to use a personal computer. Only a small minority of 7% wait until they’ve arrived at work or school to check their email.
While this may look like some consumers are ignoring social media, the research taken from ‘The Digital Kingdom’ report indicates that it is simply not the consumer’s first priority in the morning. What’s important for marketers to consider is that your email subscribers are also your Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers. According to ExactTarget’s Social Profile UK, 49% of consumers are strictly email subscribers while 38% are both subscribers and Facebook Fans and 5% are engaged as subscribers, Fans and Twitter Followers.
As for the last channel UK consumers predominantly choose at night, email still ranks as number one with most reaching for their laptops to check their email one final time before going to bed, while 25% decide to check Facebook and 15% look at news or entertainment websites, showing the slightly more relaxed, social mind-set people adopt in the evening.
While there is an increase in evening online social activity, the steadily high incidence of checking email into the evening demonstrates its prominence in the lives of UK consumers. Consider reaching your consumers through social sites in the evening, but remember that a significant number of consumers are still closing out their evening with the inbox.
While each individual channel brings a significant audience in terms of sheer numbers, marketers gain the most advantage by playing to the strengths of each, based on the unique needs of individual consumers.
