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Online ads engage just 17% of web users
Online advertising is only "impactful and appealing" to 17% of web users, according to a new study by UK-based research firm Connect Insight. The report notes that younger web users are likely to be more open to advertising on the web and calls for marketers to try to understand their audience. It cautions that "social media strategy may not be right for all advertisers."
The report claims 24% of 16 to 34-year-olds are likely to find online advertising appealing, while 44% of people in this age category are likely to find relevant ad messages online. This may be because younger audiences don't have the same negative associations of online ads as older web users. However, the study notes that "younger audiences are also targeted with more creativity than older users and are easier to find online".
Connect Insight claims half of web users aged 55 and over "actively avoid environments where advertising interrupts their usage of a site". It argues careful targeting is required, and notes the challenges that marketers face when web users outgrow the youth market and their digital identities start to shift.
"The internet is a highly fragmented environment that users personalise based on their own needs and interests," says Connect Insights director, Faye Weeks. "Advertisers need to give more thought to shaping social media strategies but only when they know enough about their target audience's digital behaviour, and attitudes."
According to the report, 43% of web users say they wouldn't follow any products or brands on social media sites. This rises to almost two-thirds among those aged over 55. Younger social media users are much more likely to accept brands, but different categories of product are ranked differently. Entertainment, film and music are most popular, with 23% of social media users prepared to follow these kinds of brands. Motor, finance and pharmaceutical products ranked lowest, with just 8%, 7% and 5% of social media users expressing an interest in following these brands.
The findings come as new research by marketing firm KingFishMedia shows that 73% of US businesses now have a social media strategy and a further 7% plan to have one in place within a year. According to the study, 87% of the polled businesses use LinkedIn, while 84% have a corporate Twitter account and 78% have a Facebook fan page.
