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With the progress of technology, the changes of society and the continuous development of media, consumers have changed in their exposure and awareness of media. Social media is the content platform with the fastest development, and it is developing toward a more influential and content-oriented direction. Nowadays, most consumers cannot be separated from social media, and they rely more on social media for shopping. Under the certain circumstance, does every consumer have the same progress in using it? If not, where is the difference? How to communicate with consumer in different social stage? This week, we will analyze the evolution theory of social media users based on the data of GroupM Shanhaijin.
Key takeaways are as below:
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Social media is developing toward a more efficient and influential paths now, and improving conversion efficiency in consumers’ shopping journey
: During the process of reach-recall, the conversion of stranger-based social media is second only to e-commerce.
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Consumers prefer social media with deeper content interaction and more diverse integrated functions
: Douyin, Kuaishou , Red and Zhihu, which highlight content sharing or contain the attribute of product sales, have shown an obvious increase in monthly active users. The reach of social advertising represented by short video/live streaming, official self-owned media, and Q&A platforms has increased
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Consumers have different degrees of evolution in the social stage, which can be divided into “Hermits”(low-level), “Rangers”(middle-level) and “Maniacs”(high-level)
: Hermits would prefer acquaintance-based social media. Rangers focus on recommendation of KOL and UGC, while Maniacs have a higher preference for content-based social media.
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The reason for consumers’ different social stages lies in their various capabilities and demands
: The use of high-density content media requires a high ability of information reception processing, information production and purchasing power. The needs for entertainment, interest, information and expression will also show differences in the contact, interaction, and sharing.
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With the development of media, consumers tend to move toward a higher social media stage in the use of new media forms
: The social stage is different, but if there is a willingness to use it, it will enhance the consumer’s several abilities and needs during the process. It can be seen that the proportion of “Hermits” population has dropped from 47.2% in 2018 to 24.9% in 2020. A part of “Hermits” has turned into “Rangers” or “Maniacs”.
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It’s necessary for marketers to focus on the communication with “Rangers” and “Maniacs” in social marketing
: Conversion might be the highest for Maniacs through sufficient social reach and stimulation by e-commerce channels. Stimulated by external information, Rangers will have more search behaviors and thus further influencing others.
Social media has evolved from communication type to content type, then to e-commerce type. It’s developing in a more efficient and influential paths. Social media plays a pivotal role in consumers' Path-to-Purchase. During the process of reach-recall, the conversion of stranger-based social media is second only to e-commerce, based on the data of GroupM Shanhaijin.
Note: Acquaintance based social media include ads in WeChat Moments, shares from WeChat/group chat and Moments
Stranger based social media include Weibo, WeChat official account, KOL, Q&A platform, official mini program/APP, etc.
Apps with traditional social media, such as WeChat and QQ, remain in a relatively stable state in terms of monthly active users. Douyin, Kuaishou , Red and Zhihu, which highlight content sharing or contain the attribute of product sales, have shown an obvious increase in monthly active users. The reach of social advertising represented by short video/live streaming, official self-owned media, and Q&A platforms has increased, while the forms of social interaction in the WeChat ecosystem have not changed much.
Combined with the consumer's social media usage habits and social behavior, we find that consumers have different degrees of evolution in the social stage, which can be divided into “Hermits”(low-level), “Rangers”(middle-level) and “Maniacs”(high-level).
Limited online social activities . Social software is more tool-based .No social behaviors such as commenting or sharing.
Heavy social media users with rich online social behaviors. Willing to be recommended by social media, active in interaction and sharing, etc.
High degree of conversion from social media, with online social interaction direct influencing their offline life. Embrace social e-commerce, watch e-commerce live streaming. Willing to accept product recommendations in online social activities and place orders directly.
“Hermits” would prefer acquaintance-based social media, while “Rangers” and “Maniacs” enjoy richer social behaviors. “Rangers” focus on recommendation of KOL and UGC, while “Maniacs” have a higher preference for content-based social media.
Why consumers are in different social stages? It mainly lies in their difference in abilities and demands.
The use of high-density content media requires a high ability of information reception processing, while online sharing of products and life requires the ability of information production. In addition, the purchasing power affects whether consumers allow themselves to consume out of happiness and emotional atmosphere. The demands for entertainment, interest, information and expression make consumers have different preferences in social media contact, interactive sharing, and conversion. However, these abilities and demands are related to factors as follows: consumers’ dating environment, generation, education degree, income, media value, consumption value, etc.
So the question is whether the crowd portraits are the same within the same social stage? The answer is definitely No. This is the result of multiple factors. Consumers with higher education backgrounds may have stronger ability of information reception and processing. But if they have lower-incomes, more price-sensitive and cannot use multiple devices simultaneously, they are still “Hermits”. As for middle-aged and elderly retirees in the fourth-tier cities, they may already become users of social e-commerce if they have strong information processing ability and self-satisfaction demand. This group of people is more like “Maniacs”, who are willing to accept new things and sharing.
Therefore, based on factors such as education degree, income, generation, media value, and consumption value, the decision tree extracts a typical portrait of social groups as follows.
Which of the social groups are "Maniacs"?
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