'Net Features : performics

Images Increase Facebook Engagement

Allison Howen — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:30:00 GMT

If your looking to increase engagement on Facebook, you might want to start posting more images – at least according to a recent study from marketing firm Performics.

The Life on Demand study shows that 44 percent of consumers are likely to engage with branded content that contains images, followed by 40 percent who claim they are likely to engage with status updates and 37 percent who are likely to engage with videos.

The study also reveals some consumer insights regarding social login. The insights show that only 22 percent of respondents claim to login to accounts with a social profile either frequently or always, while more than half of respondents do so occasionally or rarely. Additionally, 84 percent of respondents prefer signing into other sites with Facebook, while only 8 percent prefer Twitter.

Other statistics found that 33 percent of people are the most likely to respond to brand offers when they are reposted by a friend, while 27 percent are the most likely to respond to an offer on the brand's page, 25 percent will do so from the newsfeed, and 20 percent are likely to respond to offers from a social advertisement.

Check out the study's engagement stats below:

Mothers Know Best About Social Media

Allison Howen — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:30:00 GMT

The social Web, it turns out, is full of Moms I’d Like to Friend.

A new study from performance marketing provider Performics reveals that mothers are more versatile, present and engaged users of social networking sites than other women. In fact, moms are 61 percent more likely to own a smartphone, 16 percent more likely to visit Facebook daily, 46 percent more likely to visit Google+ daily and 75 percent more likely to trust information that they receive from companies on social networking sites compared to women that are not mothers.

“Moms continue to take advantage of the little spare time they have by utilizing all the tools at their disposal. This includes their mobile devices and social networks,” says Daina Middleton, Global CEO of Performics. “Increasingly, as a segment of the social networking population, moms perception is their voice can be leveraged to influence, participate with, and promote brands.”

The study also shows that moms are not only more likely to trust brands on social sites, but also look to interaction with brands on social sites as a primary point of contact. This statistic is significant because mother bloggers, which is a sub category of moms, control more than two trillion dollars worth or purchasing power, according to the study.

Not convinced yet that your brand should be targeting Moms online? Well, another intriguing piece of data from the study reveals that they are also 45 percent more likely to make a purchase as a result of a social network recommendation, and are more likely to become brand ambassadors, or mombassadors, for their favorite brands via social media.

In fact, moms are 34 percent more likely to recommend a company or brand via social media, 48 percent more likely to discuss a brand on a social site after seeing the brand’s ad somewhere, 24 percent more likely to talk about brands that they follow on Facebook, 23 percent more likely to link to a brand, 53 percent more likely to post brand ads, and 50 percent more likely to post interesting or relevant content about a brand.

“Brands have an opportunity to motivate moms to participate through their social media properties,” says Middleton. “In this age of participation, moms expect a constructive, two-way relationship. To stay current, build loyalty and, in many cases, drive sales, brands must provide that meaningful connection with their customers.”

So don’t be shy. Show moms some social love because it could help your brand out in the long run.

Trick or Treat? The Truth About Today's Shoppers

Linc Wonham — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:30:00 GMT

With the height of the holiday shopping season just weeks away, it’s in the best interest of online retailers to cull every bit of data they can about today’s consumers and what they may bring to the table come November and December.

One of the more informative and perhaps surprising reports comes from performance marketing agency Performics, which reports that men are more likely than women to conduct five of six social shopping activities online. Contradicting commonly held beliefs about gender and social behaviors, the study showed that men more frequently research product information, read reviews, compare products, find product availability and get store information via social networks, shopping and deal sites.

Women, meanwhile, reign supreme when searching for deals, coupons and specials on similar sites.

“Women are reported to control about 80 percent of household spending, so it may be surprising for some to see men play a more dominant role in the social shopping and research process,” says Dana Todd, a senior vice president of marketing and business development for Performics. “But given recent reports of ‘digital dads’ and increases in shared shopping activities across genders, this new data is intriguing. We’ve layered social network behavior with shopping patterns and the results are helpful for marketers trying to predict how social shopping figures into upcoming holiday campaigns. Many may not have considered specifically targeting men in social ads.”

One of the most helpful takeaways from the study can help marketers do just that more effectively. With the exception of Facebook, as the report's data below shows, men frequent social networking sites substantially more than women do:

•    YouTube (54 vs. 34 percent)
•    Twitter (37 vs. 24 percent)
•    Google+ (36 vs. 24 percent)
•    Myspace (31 vs. 20 percent)
•    LinkedIn (20 vs. 16 percent)
•    Facebook (96 vs. 97 percent)

The study, conducted by ROI Research Inc., also revealed that active social networkers most often turn to shopping sites like Amazon, eBay or brand websites to begin the purchase process when searching for a product (87 percent), and right before they commit to a purchase (83 percent). They are more likely to turn to social networks such as Facebook immediately after the purchase to share their experience (59 percent).

“Many people have integrated social media in all phases of the shopping process, particularly because Facebook is how they connect with friends on mobile devices and at home. We all do it — asking friends, family or colleagues to weigh in on a purchase, or posting a great find,” says Todd. “But it’s not all about social activity. Shopping and deal sites are certainly holding their own and offer an excellent opportunity for marketers to participate with customers.”

Online activity while shopping in-store is also gaining in popularity, according to the poll. Many respondents said they occasionally or frequently conduct in-store social (20–50 percent) or search (18–62 percent) activities, as the additional findings below show:

•    Sixty-two percent said they conduct competitive price searches while in a retail location
•    Forty-five percent “check-in” at a store
•    Forty-one percent use a search engine on their mobile phone to look for information
•    Thirty percent use a barcode scanner on their mobile phone to shop for prices
•    Twenty-five percent pause while at a physical location prior to finalizing a purchase in order to seek advice on a social network
•    41 percent said they wait between 5 and 10 minutes for advice on social sites before proceeding with their purchase

So, what does it all mean for Web retailers this holiday season? Don't ignore your social media campaigns, of course, and be sure to have a current mobile strategy that includes easily accessible product reviews, price comparisons and QR codes.

Perhaps most important, however? Don't ignore the men this year -- they may be your most important online customers.

Weekend Warrior: The Impact of Social Media

Michael Garrity — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Democracy reigns supreme for companies that use social networking to market themselves and their products. A new study by Performics reveals that most users agree that the voicing of opinions on social networking sites can influence the business decisions of a company or brand.

Called S-Net, The Impact of Social Media, the study found that 52 percent of the respondents either strongly or somewhat agreed that voicing opinions on various brands, companies or products on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can influence business decisions.

Eighteen specific industries were included in the study, including apparel, appliances, automotive, education, electronics, entertainment, financial services, food, healthcare/pharma, household, magazines/newspapers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, personal care, restaurants, sports, telecommunications and travel. Performics also discovered that educational institutions, sports and entertainment were the most discussed categories on social networking sites.

Below is a list of best practices for marketers looking to utilize social networks based on the results of the study:

Understand customer desire for brand interaction in the relevant category
The study revealed that 74 percent of people who purchase entertainment products will go back and discuss them on social networks. Hey, everybody’s a critic.

Create and adapt marketing strategies to cater to participation expectations and desires
Over half of the respondents (53 percent) admitted that they will follow travel companies or brands on social networking sites in order to get coupons or discounts. With the price of gas these days, who can blame them?

Allocate time and resources to the most relevant and appropriate social networks
Forty-two percent of those surveyed said that they will discuss automobiles on social networking sites as a way to compare prices.

Regularly monitor and measure social network activity
Thirty-two percent said that they have made a sports-related product purchase because of something they saw posted on a social network. In fact, I’ll even 'fess up to purchasing a Pittsburgh Steelers Snuggie while browsing Facebook.

Adjust strategies and tactics as necessary to optimize engagement
As with travel companies, electronics companies on social networking sites don’t have a lot of fans who like them based on personality alone. Forty-three percent of respondents said that they will follow electronics brands or companies on social networking sites for offers or chances to win points or online currency that they can redeem for products.

While social media can offer unlimited exposure and huge potential for Web marketers, there isn’t yet a perfect solution for analyzing and evaluating consumers' responses to the messages that businesses and brands are sending out. This study is a great start for those who want to get a solid, industry-specific look at how important social media interaction can be for their particular audience.

“Customers expect, and are already participating in a two-way dialogue,” says Daina Middleton, CEO of Performics. “It’s imperative for marketers to listen to customers and adopt strategies that engage them in every channel of their media mix – across all platforms, devices and screens.”

Mobile Accounts for 12 Percent of Paid Search

Linc Wonham — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:09:00 GMT

Performance marketing firm Performics has released its second-quarter mobile paid search data and found that mobile paid search traffic is now 12 percent of all paid search impressions (mobile + desktop), while mobile clicks are about to cross the 12-percent threshold.

This latest iteration of data is particularly noteworthy since Google Adwords is now breaking out “tablets with full browsers” as a distinct device within reporting, as of June 1. In the Q2 data, Performics found that tablets now account for 1.7 percent of all paid search impressions, which is 14 percent of all mobile impressions.

Performics has been tracking these mobile metrics among their clients for more than 18 months now. Some of the most interesting data points include the following:

• Mobile click share continued to rise in June to more than 11 percent of all search clicks. Tablets contributed more than 13 percent of all mobile clicks.

• For the past two months, mobile and tablet devices have been virtually tied with computers for click thru rates (CTRs). This follows 11 months during which mobile devices largely lagged behind computers.

• Early tablet impressions are heavily weighted towards display, with virtually no impressions coming from search partners. Tablet clicks, similar to both computers and mobile devices, are largely coming through Google search.

Most Important SocNet? 60% Say LinkedIn

Administrator — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:45:00 GMT

Web users communicate in a variety of ways (email, IM, forums and social networks) but the bulk of activity occurs on a few platforms. So which is the most important for you as a Web professional to participate within?

Performance marketing agency Performics released results from “S-Net (The Impact of Social Media),” and the report provides one possible answer. According to the survey of 2,997 active social networkers, 59 percent of respondents said it is important to have a LinkedIn account - more than any other social network.

“We may not necessarily be in a double-dip recession but, individuals have embraced social networking as a means to actively manage their personal visibility in the global economy.” said Daina Middleton, CEO of Performics. “Factors including LinkedIn’s recent IPO announcement, the May uptick in national unemployment and signs of a slowed market certainly contribute to LinkedIn’s attractiveness among social networkers.”

As Middleton points out, there are obviously quite a few factors as to why LinkedIn may be top of mind, but what a professional network like LinkedIn provides is visibility and it is successfully living up to the expectation.

Of the study respondents with an active LinkedIn account, 50 percent visit the site at least weekly and 20 percent visit the site at least daily. While visits to LinkedIn decreased since the height of the recession in 2010 (67 percent weekly and 22 percent daily visits), the percentage of people who deem LinkedIn the most important social networking site jumped dramatically from 41 percent last year to 59 percent this year.

Mobile Paid Search Impressions Skyrocket

Mike Phillips — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:56:00 GMT

A new study by Performics (paid search marketing specialists) shows that mobile paid search impressions accounted for 10.2% of all paid search impressions (desktop and mobile) for Performics' client base in Q1 2011. It's the first time 10 percent has been reached, and marks an impressive 195% increase in mobile impression volume.

Mobile clicks are rising, too. In Q1, mobile click share accounted 9.8% of all paid search clicks, for an overall increase of 230% -- compared to clicks from computers which rose 13.7%

While this is just one study, the hard evidence points to mobile paid search as an increasingly important part of marketers' strategies. And while the volume of mobile paid search rises, mobile cost-per-click (CPC) remains well below that of desktop CPC. In March, mobile CPCs were 42.1% lower.

Mobile Search Insights - 49% Make Mobile Purchases

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Performance marketing agency Performics last week released results from its 2011 Mobile Search Insights study.

The study revealed that of people using the mobile Web at least weekly, more than half (57 percent) use the mobile Web more than once/day, with more than three quarters (77 percent) using mobile search more than five times in the last month.

It's not just the frequency that is important however, but also the satisfaction and adoption of mobile search. 75 percent of respondents saud that mobile search makes their lievs easier and 53 percent said access tomobile search has changed the way they gather information.

“Mobile paid search has surged as a percentage of overall paid search spending for our clients, particularly over the last 15 months,” said Daina Middleton, CEO of Performics. “We expect March to be the double digit tipping point, when mobile paid search will represent at least ten percent of paid search impressions for all Performics clients.”

All that usage and value of course leads to one important thing - sales. 49 percent of respondents made a mobile purchase in the last six months. That's almost enough to make you rethink your mobile strategy entirely, right?

Mobile Search Gaining Ground with Users, Marketers

Linc Wonham — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:30:00 GMT

Analysts at digital marketing agency Performics are expecting a little March Madness of their own. If estimates are correct, mobile paid search will hit the double-digit tipping point this month, meaning that it will represent at least 10 percent of paid search impressions for all Performics clients.

“Mobile paid search has surged as a percentage of overall paid search spending for our clients, particularly over the last 15 months,” said CEO Daina Middleton.

Driven by the steady upswing in paid search spending, Performics conducted the 2011 Mobile Search Insights Study with ROI Research to examine the search habits of mobile users more closely. The report focuses on people who use the mobile Web at least weekly and found that more than half (57 percent) use the it more than once per day, and that more than three quarters (77 percent) use mobile search more than five times per month.

Other findings about users’ mobile search habits included the following:

•    84 percent look for local retailer information
•    82 percent find online retailers
•    75 percent said mobile search makes their lives easier
•    73 percent find a specific manufacturer or product Website
•    71 percent learn about a product or service after seeing an ad
•    68 percent find the best price for a product or service
•    63 percent said access to mobile search has changed the way they gather information
•    63 percent search before purchasing offline in a store or from a catalog
•    32 percent said they use mobile search more than search engines on their computers

Use of mobile search at home topped the list with 81 percent reporting evening use, 80 percent reporting weekend use and 59 percent reporting use before work. Another 61 percent reported using mobile search at work. Respondents also revealed dual screen multi-tasking, reporting at least occasional use of mobile search while watching TV (66 percent) or using the computer (45 percent).

The study examined differences in mobile search adoption and use across gender and age groups, and the differences across 12 top product categories including apparel, appliances, automotive, CPG, electronics, financial services, travel and more.

Bing/Yahoo Migration - In the Trenches

Pete Prestipino — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:39:00 GMT

There has been a shortage of useful information for search marketers related to the Bing/Yahoo advertising migration - that fortunately is starting to change as agencies and advertisers dig in to the modified platform. Search marketing agency Performics has been tracking and evaluating the Bing/Yahoo paid search migration and has published some interested takeaways from its own data for the first week. On October 15th and 16th, approximately 60% of click traffic was running on Microsoft AdCenter (up from approximately 30% prior to the migration start). Other highlights include:

Impression Volume: A lower amount of impression volume is running through AdCenter (approximately 40%), suggesting that Bing is maintaining relatively higher click through rates when compared to Yahoo!, or that a stronger mix of brand terms have migrated first.

Cost per Click: Aggregate CPCs increased during the first few days of the migration, but they've come back down to normal seasonal expectations over the last few days.

Conversion Rates: Performics has conversion rates dip over the last couple of days, but this could also be an impact of seasonality/day of week.

Performic suggests setting up variance reports by campaign and for top keywords evaluating changes day over day, week over week and by day of week when managing during the transition. Performics does this through its Campaigns on Demand (CoD) Automated Goal Manager, which enables rules and alerts across programs with hundreds of thousands of keywords.

What Shoppers Discuss Most on Social Networks

Linc Wonham — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The latest installment of a series of reports on the impact of social media, conducted by ROI Research Inc. and sponsored by Performics, examines how consumers use social networking sites to get advice on what to purchase; how they give advice on companies and products, and whether they post content specific to various industries.

According to the survey, the most highly discussed verticals on social networks were automotive (61 percent), travel (60 percent) and entertainment (57 percent). When it comes to social networkers seeking or sharing recommendations on local retailers, however, home furnishings led all categories, including automotive.

Other highlights of the study include the following:

•    56 percent of respondents are fans of appliance brands or retailers on Facebook
•    49 percent of respondents most often use social networking sites to seek advice on electronics purchases
•    49 percent of respondents discuss apparel on social networking sites to compare prices
•    49 percent of respondents follow automotive brands or retailers on Twitter
•    38 percent of respondents most often use social networking sites to give advice about financial services and home furnishings companies or products
•    26 percent are likely to make an automotive purchase as a result of a recommendation someone posted on a social networking site (higher than any other vertical)
•    23 percent of respondents follow at least one travel company on either Facebook or Twitter

The results were compiled over 2009 and 2010, and seem to confirm social media’s heavy impact on the retail landscape. While marketers remained unconvinced until relatively recently, the fact that businesses are increasing their advertising spends on Facebook by up to 20 times more than last year’s amounts is a clear indication that the doubt has subsided.

Buyer Trend Study (2009) from Performics

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Last week Performics released findings from an eight month study of consumer behavior which showed that Generations X and Y (consumers age 18-44) were assisting the economic recovery by continuing to splurge on certain types of purchase and looking to the future with optimism.

Performics questioned consumers about their confidence in their economic situation and areas where they may have splurged in 2009. On average, more than half of the respondents think their current household economic situation is the same or better this year compared to their situation a year ago. While consumers cut back on a variety of expenses in 2009, rising consumer confidence throughout the past two months has positively affected reported spending, while the disparity of behaviors and attitudes among age groups has clearly emerged.

“We hoped we would see this positive shift in consumer confidence months ago, and that was part of the reason for Performics’ extensive eight-month study of consumer behavior and attitudes during the recession,” said Michael Kahn, SVP of Marketing at Performics. “The study’s November findings indicate a substantial uptick in positive attitudes, shopping behavior and buying intentions, with younger generations, Gen Y and Gen X, fueling the optimism behind this uptick.”

Looking ahead to 2010, Generations X and Y show greater signs of increased spending:

• 18 percent of those ages 18-44 expect to spend more overall in the next 60 days than in the same period last year, vs. 13 percent of those ages 45 and up.

• 24 percent of those ages 18-44 expect to spend more online in the next 60 days than in the same period last year, vs. 10 percent of those ages 45 and up.

“Regardless of who spent money offline or online, consumers were emphatic about the Web’s role in helping them make smarter purchase decisions in 2009,” added Kahn. “Consumers have long turned to the Internet to check prices and identify the best products to buy and merchants to patronize, but this year’s economic situation pushed this practice front and center. As we expected, consumers will gladly conduct some online research to save a few dollars here and there, let alone to save hundreds or thousands on big ticket items.”

Online price checking can reduce the likelihood of buyer’s remorse for a consumer either by confirming a good deal or identifying a better one, and this rang true for all age groups. When it comes to finding the best deals, nearly half of consumers found the best deals online. In fact, 45 percent of respondents said they found the best deals online in the past month versus only 34 percent of respondents who said they found the best deals in-store.

Also true for all age groups, consumers identified select elements of a website that positively affect their willingness to purchase online. Some of the key factors included free shipping, free returns, home page discounts and consumers generated reviews.

Performance Marketing: Travel & Home

Pete Prestipino — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:15:00 GMT

The U.S. economy has yet to really turn around. Whether the bottom in site or not, one thing is for certain - consumers are spending less and that isn't good news for performance marketers.

Performics released the second month’s consumer behavior findings from its “2009 Online Buyer Economic Trend Study” and the results are for all intents and purposes - depressing.

Family vacations and home improvements - two popular summer pastimes – are those industries feeling the greatest direct heat as a result of the economic downturn. According to the survey results, nearly 50 percent of respondents say they plan on spending less money than they normally do on home improvements this spring or summer. Similarly, nearly one out of five respondents cancelled summer vacation plans due to the economy. Twenty to 34 percent of consumers scaled back vacation plans since 2008 in terms of amount of money spent (33 percent decrease), number of trips being taken (32 percent decrease), length of stay (25 percent decrease), distance traveled (20 percent decrease), and number of trips involving air travel (34 percent decrease).

Should you scale back your marketing or ad spending in the home and travel areas?
While some consumers may cut back on spending, many plan to maintain their past spending levels. For example, 43 percent of consumers plan to spend the same as they normally do on home improvements. The May study also asked about the recent Mother’s Day holiday; although 40 percent of respondents spent less money on mom in 2009 than they normally do, more than half said they spent the same this year as last year.

“From a low-key Mother’s Day to cutbacks on summer travel and home improvement, it’s clear consumers continue to tighten their belts and be more selective with their spending,” notes Michael Kahn, SVP of Marketing at Performics. “Advertisers across the board, especially in highly affected segments like travel and home improvement, must acknowledge these behaviors and find creative ways to engage their consumer audience online and stay competitive.”

Consumers Still Spending

Pete Prestipino — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Performics unveiled a study which revealed that online retailers may still find themselves well positioned in this depressed economy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they will spend equal or more money online in the next 60 days than they did at this time last year.

“Despite difficult economic conditions, consumers still seem willing to spend money online, especially when offered incentives through coupons and other online discounts,” said Nick Beil, CEO of Performics. “These findings suggest marketers must implement actionable strategies that more effectively reach cost-conscious consumers to generate sales throughout the recession.”

Other interesting finding from the study incldue:

70 percent of respondents used coupons when making purchases to save money.

More than one-third of respondents say they are more likely to click on banner ads or sponsored search listings while shopping online to find better deals.

Eighty-five percent of respondents say the recession will have a lasting impact on saving and spending habits.

More than one-third of those receiving a tax refund will be applying it to debt.

Anatomy Of a Successful Campaign

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:15:00 GMT

What does a successful Internet campaign look like?

Performics announced last week that their recent campaign for Cabela’s has been awarded the “Best Performance Marketing Campaign” for the 2009 ad:tech awards.

Performics’ campaign, “Online Traffic Makes Instore Buyers,” used online coupons through paid search to drive offline traffic to Cabela’s retail locations across the country. The results? Ten percent of all consumers who clicked retrieved a coupon, and 40 percent of the coupons distributed were redeemed at a retail location.

“Cabela’s continually generates robust sales through their aggressive online marketing efforts, and their willingness to try new things has helped them stay ahead of competitors,” said Nick Beil, CEO of Performics. “Our account team worked closely with Cabela’s to achieve some great results. We exceeded the campaign’s coupon retrieval goal by 233 percent, and the 40 percent coupon redemption rate significantly outperformed the campaign’s goal of 15 percent.”

As part of the campaign, Performics built online promotional campaigns for each store and focused on keywords for Cabela’s brand. Geo-targeted strategies were also put into place for locations within a 200-mile radius of each store, and copy specialists developed ad copy that offered in-store coupons to the local audiences. The coupon could only be redeemed at one of the store locations, and relevant landing pages were used to guide consumers through the coupon retrieval process.

“Performics has been a solid marketing partner for Cabela’s by demonstrating cutting edge paid search expertise,” said Derek Fortna, Internet marketing manager for Cabela’s. “They continually present new opportunities to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of our marketing initiatives. Their proven online experience helped successfully drive our offline business and push traffic to our retail stores.”