The Social Profile - UK

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW Of the 95% of consumers that do choose to
engage with companies online, we find that
Last year, as part of ExactTarget’s SUBSCRIBERS, FANS they interact with brands online in one of two
and FOLLOWERS research series, we examined the ways ways, either:
social media is revolutionising the marketplace in the United
Kingdom. That report, The Digital Kingdom, identified
They adopt a layered
SUBSCRIBERS, FANS and FOLLOWERS, their motivations
for interacting with brands online, as well as their usage of
1 communication strategy.
and attitudes toward email, Facebook and Twitter.
Consumers, for example, may choose to “Like” a
The Digital Kingdom revealed that when looking at the UK favourite company on Facebook and subscribe to email
population, 93% are Subscribers, 45% are Fans and 7% are from that company, but they expect to receive different
Followers. When reviewing this information independently, types of communications through each channel. Channel
it’s easy to think about these audiences in silos. One may exclusivity is important here. There must be some added
be tempted to believe that the way to reach the 7% that benefit to become a SUBSCRIBER, FAN or FOLLOWER.
don’t subscribe to email is through Facebook, Twitter or It’s also important to note that while 5% of online
some other new media channel. In reality, only 2% of online consumers interact using all three channels, they aren’t
consumers in the UK engage with brands through Facebook necessarily interacting with the same brands across all
or Twitter but not through email. The remaining 5% do not three channels.
engage with companies through any of these channels.
They adopt an isolated
SUBSCRIBERS: 2 communication strategy.
are consumers who have given permission to at least
one brand to send them email. In this case, consumers will keep interactions with brands
isolated to a single channel where they expect to hear from
FANS: brands, while keeping other online channels focused on
are consumers with a Facebook account who have
become a FAN (or “Liked”) at least one brand personal communication only. Email is largely seen as a
on Facebook. place where brands are welcome to engage consumers,
while some consumers question the presence of brands
FOLLOWERS: on Facebook and Twitter and consciously avoid them as
are consumers with a Twitter account who Follow at
least one brand on Twitter. a result.

To read more about the research methodology used
for the Subscribers, Fans, & Followers series, go to
www.ExactTarget.com/SFF

2 © 2012 ExactTarget | www.ExactTarget.com/sff

What’s even more important for 1.4%
marketers to consider are the subscribers
& followers 0.1%
actions consumers take once
Followers
VERLAP
engaged as SUBSCRIBERS,
only
SO
FANS or FOLLOWERS. Do they 0.2%
make purchases as a result of
ER Fans &
getting an email, becoming
fans or following a brand? Are
W Followers

LO
they more likely to recommend 1.4%

IBERS, FANS & FOL
the company to a friend? The 5% Fans
answers to these questions subscribers, only
are largely tied to the reasons fans &
people go online in the first followers
place and that is what we’ll
examine in this report.
38%
subscribers
& fans
49%
subscribers
SCR

only
B
SU

©ExactTarget


PERSONALITY IMPACT UK ONLINE PERSONAS
When taking time to evaluate
your consumer interactions, family & friends
it is important not to overlook Focused on family and close friend relationships—they’re not particularly
interested in developing new online relationships.
the impact of an individual’s
personalit y. Personalities,
tendencies and preferences
are major factors to
consider when determining
how to communicate with
your customers.

Marketers must first know who
they’re talking to. Only then can
they determine the “right” and
“wrong” marketing strategies
for that audience. This is why Daily
we’ve identified 13 distinct social channel use
profiles or personas, to help • EMAIL
• FACEBOOK
describe UK consumers and • TWITTER
their motives for being online.
92%
46%
5%

60%
Tend to be...
female UNDER 25 years old
OVER 55 years old


Shopper CAUTIOUS
Shopping is the focus while online—but this isn’t limited Characteristically guarded and selective about the
to online transactions. Much of their time is spent communication channel through which they communicate
researching future purchases. Think quality over savings with with brands, including the type of information being shared.
these consumers.

Daily channel use Daily channel use
• EMAIL • FACEBOOK • EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER
• TWITTER

95% 90%
43% 46%
6% 14%

57% Tend to be... 53% Tend to be...
female female
OVER 35 years old OVER 45 years old


Deal Seeker Information Consumer
Desperately seeks promotional content of all kinds, across Consuming information is key. These consumers may seek
all channels, including exclusive deals, freebies, discounts, the opinions of others, but are not interested in creating
vouchers and sale notifications. new content, commenting on the experiences of others or
contributing to online conversations.

• TWITTER

95% 92%
45% 38%
4% 5%

female male OVER 55 years old
25-54 years old


Enthusiast News Junkie
Online time is spent gathering information on personal News and world-events are their primary interests and the
interests—especially as it pertains to music, sports, pets, Internet is used to stay up-to-date.
politics and other opinion-based topics.

• EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER

92% 93%
43% 37%
10% 9%

Tend to be... Tend to be...
62% 66%
male Teens (15-17 years old) male OVER 35 years old
OVER 55 years old


Gamer Socialiser
Behaviour varies from casual use of Facebook or free Primary online interest is to maintain online friend groups
gaming sites to a serious investment in the gaming lifestyle. using an array of social media tools.
They play games, read about games and download games
when online.

• EMAIL • EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER
• FACEBOOK • TWITTER

92% 93%
52% 68%
7% 11%

male female
UNDER 35 years old UNDER 35 years old


Lifestyle Oriented Expressive
Prefer to spend time online supporting a social lifestyle Uninhibited when online, expressing personal opinions, likes
and seeking information on lifestyle interests like food, and dislikes freely.
restaurants, fashion, travel and movies.

• TWITTER

95% 91%
52% 54%
11% 5%

female male
18- 44 years old UNDER 35 years old


All Business Connector
Business trends, communicating with existing business Known best as social “influencers,” their online time is spent
contacts and making new contacts through networking sites connecting, educating people and turning others on to new
like LinkedIn are their focus. There is also typically some information and resources.
level of company or personal career promotion.

• TWITTER

90% 98%
46% 55%
14% 12%

male male
25-64 years old UNDER 45 years old


ONLINE PERSONAS
IN THE UK
Survey respondents were asked to
identify up to three persona
descriptions that describe
48%
how they interact FAMILY & FRIENDS
when online.
SHOPPER 43%

CAUTIOUS 39%

DEAL SEEKER 33%

ER 29%
INFORMATION CONSUM
ENTHUSIAST 21%

NEWS JUNKIE 19%

GAMER 17%

SOCIALISER 16%

7%
LIFESTYLE ORIENTED
EXPRESSIVE 7%

ALL BUSINESS 7%

CONNECTOR 7%

=


PURCHASING BEHAVIOURS Percentage of UK Online Users Who
Now that you’ve been introduced to the
various consumer personas, naturally you’re Have Purchased as a Result of
wondering what it will take to make them
purchase your product or service. To help
Marketing Messages by Channel
you determine the best marketing strategy
to influence buying decisions, you must
first examine the purchasing habits of each
individual online persona. Here are highlights
46% Email
from some key persona categories.

• While Deal Seekers are more likely than
the average consumer to have made a 40% Direct Mail
purchase through email (48%), they are just
as likely to have made a purchase as the
result of visiting a voucher or discount site.

• Connectors are even more likely to have 37% Voucher Site
made a purchase through email (53%), but
are slightly more likely to have purchased
through a voucher site (54%).

• All Business consumers are heavy online
12% Phone Call from a Company
buyers. They are the only group that makes
purchases, at an above-average rate, as a
result of receiving a marketing message
across all of the direct marketing tactics 12% Text Message
evaluated in this study.

• Socialisers are the most likely persona
group to have made a purchase as the
result of a marketing message received
10% Facebook
through Facebook (21%) closely followed
by Connectors and Expressives
(20% each).
7% Location-Based Social Network
• Connectors are the most likely persona
group to have made a purchase as the direct
result of a marketing message received
through Twitter (13%).
4% Twitter


percentage of uk consumers more likely PURCHASE INFLUENCERS
At first observation, there seems to be a conflict
to purchase and recommend after between the statistics about which channel
becoming a subscriber, fan or follower makes people MORE likely to purchase and
which of these channels has driven a purchase
in the past. This is especially apparent when
looking at email statistics. While 46% have made
a purchase as a result of receiving an email,
I am MORE likely to BUY only 21% say they are more likely to purchase
21% from a company after
signing up for their emails.
after becoming an email SUBSCRIBER. So why
is that?

I am MORE likely to RECOMMEND Consider:
19% a company to my friends after
signing up for their emails. 39% say the reason they sign up to receive
emails from a company is because they already
shop with that company on a regular basis.
Emails are seen as a convenient way to be
informed about new products or information.
I am MORE likely to BUY
24% from a company after However, email is not necessarily seen as
something that will make them MORE likely
“Liking” them on Facebook.
to buy from the brand given their favourable
predisposition.
I am MORE likely to RECOMMEND
28% a company to my friends after While they may make purchases that are
prompted by email, the perception is not
“Liking” them on Facebook.
necessarily that email makes them MORE
likely to purchase.
Instead, consumers often see email as a
I am MORE likely to BUY from convenient reminder to go back to their
32% a company after Following
them on Twitter.
favourite stores or sites. So, while they
may not think of email as something
that makes them MORE likely to buy
I am MORE likely to from your brand. They may forget to go
back to your site without an email that
40% RECOMMEND a company
to my friends after Following reminds them to do so.
them on Twitter.


Now that we’ve examined how email impacts purchasing decisions People are much more likely to “Like” a company on Facebook for
vs. how consumers say email impacts their purchasing decisions, let’s social reasons, typically to display this loyalty to their friends or because
examine Facebook and Twitter… a friend recommended it to them. Given that, it’s not surprising that
the brands people are most likely to become a FAN or FOLLOWER
FANS of are those they admire, those that are entertaining or those that
• 45% of UK online consumers are FANS. peak curiosity. Much like we see with email, Facebook FANS often
• Of those, 24% say they are more likely to purchase as a result have affinities toward certain brands based on offline experiences,
of becoming a FAN. making them more inclined to become a FAN of that brand. However,
• This translates to 11% of the UK online population saying it’s important to remember that a good experience resulting from this
they have become more likely to purchase from brands as a “Like” may make a person feel more inclined to buy from that company
result of becoming a FAN. at some point, regardless of whether the decision to purchase is the
direct result of a Facebook message.
FOLLOWERS
Similar to Facebook, the most common reason people follow brands
• 7% of UK online consumers are FOLLOWERS.
on Twitter is to receive information related to their personal interests or
• Of those, 32% say they are more likely to purchase as a result hobbies—which is not directly related to purchase behaviour either. In
of becoming a FOLLOWER. this medium, a brand may prove itself to be helpful, conscientious and
• This translates to 2% of the UK online population saying they trustworthy, which will make a consumer more inclined to buy, even if
have become more likely to purchase from brands as a result the Twitter message is not the direct stimulus for a purchase.
of becoming a FOLLOWER.
When it comes to causing people to be more likely to recommend a brand,
When looking at the Facebook and Twitter influence figures, we find Facebook and Twitter have a distinct advantage over email because
that these numbers align quite closely with the numbers of people who the channels are inherently social and make public recommendations
have actually purchased as the result of receiving messages through easy. Twitter users are even more likely to recommend the brands they
these channels (10% and 4% respectively). follow given their ability to get an “up close and personal” feel. This
element of exclusivity makes them inclined to recommend the brands
that leave them with a favourable impression.


MOTIVATION motivations to SUBSCRIBE, “LIKE” & FOLLOW
• EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER
From our research, it is clear that people engage
with companies across social channels for 52%
To receive discounts and
different reasons. In The Digital Kingdom, the 49%
money-off promotions
11th report in the SUBSCRIBERS, FANS and 33%
FOLLOWERS research series, we looked at what To receive “free stuff” or giveaways (e.g., 44%
motivates UK consumers to engage with a brand free download, voucher, discount) offered 48%
via email, Facebook or Twitter. in exchange for my email 31%

Not surprisingly, the reason consumers initially I shop with this company or buy 39%
interact with a brand is likely to be the same this brand on a regular basis 25%
reason they continue to engage. Marketers need 28%
to be mindful of the hooks they use to get people
To keep up-to-date with a company’s 34%
to subscribe, “Like” or Follow their brand and
products, services or offerings 26%
ensure that those tactics are consistent with 35%
the ongoing value provided through subsequent
communications. For example, if the initial To recieve advance notice of new 32%
draw for a customer to “Like” a brand is to products or future releases 26%
take advantage of a promotion, consumers will 41%
continue to expect promotions through Facebook.
27%
If those expectations are not met, the consumer For more information related to my
17%
is likely to lose interest over time. personal interests, hobbies, etc.
42%

25%

To download the full report— To gain access to exclusive content 21%
36%

The Digital Kingdom—go to To receive alerts related to 12%
developments within the company, 13%
www.ExactTarget.com/SFF association or organisation 36%

11%
Someone recommended it to me 13%
15%

11%
For a quick and easy way to keep my finger
12%
on the pulse of the brand/company
42%

To show my support for the company to others 6%
(including friends and family) 22%
32%

To be affiliated with the product or brand 4%
because it’s trendy or “cool” 9%
11%

DOING IT RIGHT?
Consumers inherently favour some brands over others. According to consumers, the brands doing the best job
in email, Facebook and Twitter follow these basic guidelines:

EMAIL FACEBOOK TWITTER
1. Include special offers. The rules for a successful Facebook While similar in many ways to the rules
presence mimic those of email, with just a for email and Facebook, people expect a
2. Keep it clear and concise.
few deviations. broader scope of activity from brands on
3. Don’t use hard sell tactics. Twitter.
1. Keep the content rich by being
4. Make the content easy to navigate
interesting, useful or funny (think 1. Engage with FOLLOWERS by
with imagery and a strong
images and video). retweeting, asking for comments and
subject line.
2. Make updates more frequently than engaging in dialogue.
5. Use personalisation.
email, with an informal tone. 2. Be informative and friendly.
6. Send regularly, but not too often. People like to see the lighter side
3. Give people the opportunity to be
Note that the “right” frequency interactive with the company. Don’t of business, but keep it professional.
varies greatly from person to person. just show products. They aren’t interested in
Unfortunately, there is not a “one size fits personal details.
all” answer to the frequency question. Even when following these rules, remember
that some channels simply work better at Keep in mind that Twitter’s text-based
format can be limiting, so you really have to
“Good emails make sure they are reaching an audience than others. Deal
Seekers, for example, see Facebook as push the limits of copywriting creativity with
addressing you as an individual.” more aspirational, while email and voucher this channel if you want to see engagement.
-Tara C. / Female, 26 sites are about saving money. When
following these guidelines and developing “On Twitter, I prefer things being less
content, it’s critical to keep your audience formal and inviting so you feel at ease
in mind. and you can relax with the brand!”
“When I “Like” a company or brand, -Tali G. / Male, 26
I expect them to update me with the
latest news on products and keep me
updated via pictures, videos and via
links to websites too (most likely their
own website).”
–Joshua C. / Male, 17


Consumers Recognise Brands Who Do it Right
Now that you know how to market to consumers via each of the most popular social channels, who’s doing it best
and what brands are the topics of consumer conversations? As part of the study, we asked consumers to name
the brands they believe do the best job communicating with them through Email, Facebook and Twitter. Here’s
who they say do it best

EMAIL FACEBOOK TWITTER

Nearly 20% of all UK consumers The brands mentioned as consumer’s
highlighted Amazon as the top favourites on Twitter are much more
email programme. They are by far diversified than they are on email and
the most popular with consumers Facebook, but there were still a few
regardless of age or gender: mentioned regularly:


DOING IT wrong?
Earlier this year, as part of the Subscribers, Fans and Followers research Twitter
series, we released the report, The Social Break-Up UK, which looks at how
UK consumers disengage or break off brand relationships. Whether they Consumers are quite selective about the brands they follow on Twitter—only
disengage as a SUBSCRIBER, FAN or FOLLOWER, looking at what factors led 34% of active Twitter users in the UK have followed a brand. Of those, only
to a social break-up offer much insight into how to build social relationships 33% have stopped following a brand and the reasons people stop following
with consumers that will stand the test of time. a brand are most likely due to personal circumstance. Even still, the research
revealed two things companies do—typically in conjunction with one another—
Through this research, we found that in many ways, consumers expect similar to drive away FOLLOWERS:
experiences from email and Facebook. Given this, the reasons people engage
1. Tweeting too often and “clogging up my
and disengage through email and Facebook are also quite parallel. The rules of
what not to do on Twitter however, are much different. Twitter stream”
2. Tweeting irrelevant content
Email and Facebook

Reasons for disengagement are fairly straight-forward “I stopped following
and typically fall into one of three possibilities:
[one company]
1. Frequency of messages was too high. because they would
2. The messages don’t hold their interest. tweet a lot—and
3. The consumer only signed up to take advantage of a single offer. about stuff I wasn’t
interested in.”
Clare R. / Female, 24

46% have unsubscribed from
To download The Social
email and 42% have un-“Liked” a Break-Up UK, go to
brand on Facebook because they www.ExactTarget.com/SFF
felt bombarded with messages.


CONCLUSION
While it is difficult to perfectly segment online behaviour
into neat categories given the fluidity of the web and
the infinite number of ways consumers can interact with
brands online, looking at behaviour through consumer
personas can help clarify the ways different brands can
leverage these channels collectively. That said, remember
that consumers like choices. Rather than being force-fed
a one-size-fits-all approach, make sure your consumers
have the freedom to interact on their terms. The channels
should tie together, but offer different content with a tone
and an approach that is aligned with the unique strengths
of each channel. Remember that many consumers look for
channel exclusivity, so offering something slightly different
via email, Facebook and Twitter is likely to help build your
audience across each of these channels. Delivering a
consistent brand experience is not the same as delivering
the same content across email, Facebook and Twitter.

“make sure your consumers have the
freedom to interact on their terms”
Consumers expect brands to proactively communicate with
them. The most common place they invite these messages
into their lives is still through email. However, Facebook
and Twitter open up new opportunities for marketers to
interact with consumers. Brands are able to interact more
frequently, and informally, through these channels, offering
more chances to make a favourable impression.

Above all, it’s always important to keep the customer in
mind. A brand’s cross-channel messaging strategy should
always be keenly aware of the underlying motivations
of their customers. Understanding these motivations is
critical to unlocking the success of each of these channels
and developing strategies that allow these channels to
work together as part of a cohesive marketing strategy.


Connecting Across
Interactive Channels
is Tough. We Can Help.
Your consumers have a megaphone on the real-time web.
Through thousands of tweets, emails, Facebook posts,
ratings reviews and Google searches, they’re discussing your
organisation. It doesn’t take long for your brand to become the
sum of those conversations.
You need a better way to connect with your customers, and
ExactTarget can help. We’ve developed the Interactive Marketing
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Learn more at
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This document may not be copied without the prior written consent of ExactTarget. © 2012 ExactTarget.


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