Dutch social network, Hyves, attracted a large share of the older population with two thirds of their users over the age of 35 (69.4 percent), whilst nearly half (49 percent) of Tumblr’s users are under 35. The number of visitors aged 45-54 accounted for the largest segments of the Dutch audience for both Twitter and LinkedIn whereas people aged 55+ made up the biggest proportion of Facebook users in May 2013.

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As of June 25^th, Conversity can be contacted at:

Sanoma Content Marketing Belgium NV/SA
conversity.be
Stationsstraat 55
2800 Mechelen/Malines

Tel:     +32 (0)15/67 84 57
Fax:     +32 (0)15/67 97 63

www.conversity.be

Thank you for only using this information from now on for all communication, visits and deliveries.

Please take into account that Conversity will only be reachable by mail and mobile phones on Friday 21^st and Monday 24^th of June, nor will we be able to accept deliveries made in Diegem or Mechelen on those days.

Key takeaways:

1. Set an end date to build-in urgency.
2. Use the word “Giveaway.” “Promotion” sounds like it might or might not be a sale. “Sweepstakes” feels too chancy.
3. Like Gating Sucks. This trick has been played out.
4. Put the contest sign up box in the bottom right corner of the page. Add a picture and name brands attached to the giveaway details.
5. Signal Ease of Entry, e.g. “enter in seconds” versus a big honking “enter” button.

The average person spent 3 hours and 7 minutes online each day in 2012.

As online media becomes more popular, other media sources become less popular. Here's a daily breakdown of online use:

You know those companies that maintain massive databases of consumers and their behaviors -- and sell all that information to marketers? Perhaps you don't know them. They are supposed to be invisible. But they do have a significant impact on the effectiveness of marketing to consumers -- especially when it comes to online sales.

Acxiom, one of the biggestplayers in the field, uses a shopper recognition program that cross-references a customer's ZIP code or phone number with a name from a check or credit card to confirm shopper identities withing a 10 percent margin of error - without having to ask permission.

These are three primary types of sources:

Since its inception in 2007, Tumblr has grown to boast over 185 million monthly visitors. This makes it the 31st most popular website in the world. And it’s more than just teenagers posting cat GIFs. Many brands, especially in the fashion industry, have adopted Tumblr as its blogging platform of choice. It’s built-in “Follow” and sharing mechanisms make it easy for content to spread. And its Explore page makes trending content easy to be found. The following infographic shows who is on Tumblr and how they’re using the site.

• No human faces. Images without faces get repinned more often than images with faces. Of images shared by brands, those without human faces are repinned 23 percent more often.
• Little background. When a background rises above 40 percent of the total image area, repins are typically halved or quartered.
• Multiple colours. Images with multiple dominant colours garner more than three times the repins.
• Lots of red. Predominantly red or orange images get twice the repins.
• Light and colour. Images with 50 percent colour saturation got repinned four times as often as images with 100 percent saturation.
• Portrait style. Images did best in a vertical orientation with an aspect ration between 2:3 and 4:5

Millions of social media users follow retailers to find deals and crowdsource opinions from fellow customers.

% of Facebook users by country who follow retailers on the site to hear about deals and product information:

Consumers who left an opinion on the web in Europe in 2011:

Social shopping is increasing:

Rising interest in measuring CEOs' usage of social media prompted Weber Shandwick to ask executives what they think about CEOs entering social waters. […] The Social CEO: Executives Tell All defined social media participation as "posting messages, videos, pictures, etc on a social media site."

Key finding:

Social CEOs are gaining traction. […] CEO sociability increased from 36% to 66% between 2010 and 2012.

Benefits of CEO's participation:

• Is a good way of sharing news and information about our company (80%)
• Has a positive impact on our company’s reputation (78%)
• Shows that our company is innovative (76%)
• Gives our company a human face or personality (75%)
• Is a good way for our CEO to communicate with employees (75%)
• Helps our CEO build good relationships with the news media (75%)
• Gives more employees the chance to communicate directly with the CEO (73%)
• Helps our CEO understand/stay in-touch with what is happening inside the company (72%)
• Has a positive impact on business results (70%)
• Makes our company a more attractive place to work (69%)
• Enhances our credibility in the market (69%)
• Is a good use of our CEO’s time (67%)
• Helps us find and attract new customers (64%)
• Gives our company a competitive edge (64%)
• Makes our CEO more effective in managing crises (61%)

Here's a video key themes in the study:

Highlights include:

• There are six distinct segments of consumers who exhibit similar behaviors and intent.
• Amazon is a significant influencer in the journey, representing one-third of all retail site visits.
• The brand website still plays an important role for 69% of purchasers.
• 48% percent of purchases studied were heavily influenced by digital media and technology.

For three out of their six consumer profiles, social media plays an important role in the buying decision process:

• Digitally Driven Segment: They use every digital tool at their disposal. They use social and mobile more than any other segment in the study, value convenience above all else and they do everything in their power to avoid physically going to a store. The Digitally Driven exist in good numbers already, but within five years this will be the dominant segment of consumers.
• Calculated Shoppers: These shoppers seem to know they are going to make a purchase, but they are deciding which brand to choose. They are similar to the Digitally Driven Segment, but have no urgency to their purchase and they’re willing to take the time to get the best deal.
• External Shoppers: These are non-mobile shoppers. They want the answers to, “Should I buy?”, “What do I buy?” and “What brand do I buy?”–all at the same time. These shoppers have no urgency to make a purchase and they do their research on desktop and laptop computers.