Digital American Newsletter

It started as a whisper several years ago. Teens were setting up multiple Instagram accounts. One, their “real” account, where they welcomed their parents and everyone they met. The other, their “fake” account under a clever pseudonym, was only known to their closest friends.

Initially, parents and marketers assumed fake accounts were for posting about sex and partying. But, as multiple accounts became a full-blown trend among Millennials and Gen Z (some say 50% have them), a more important distinction emerged.

For many, real accounts (dubbed “Rinsta” on Instagram), are carefully curated to reinforce an aspirational image. Only the best pictures, envy-worthy events, and happy updates are posted. Fake accounts (“Finsta”) are where users are themselves. Imperfect pictures, the messiness of real life, and unfiltered feelings are shared with friends they trust, with privacy completely locked down.

It’s an odd twist. The openness and authenticity that defined social media is now often confined to the highly private “Finstas.” The picture-perfect life of beautiful people eating avocado toast at sunrise on a Maui beach is how many show up to marketers and anyone else who searches for them.

Sources: CBC News 2017, Lifehacker 2018, Medium: Kaiti Snell 2017, Psychology Today 2017

Reddit is now America’s third favorite website ahead of Facebook and Amazon, but behind Google and YouTube. That’s according to Alexa’s ranking algorithm which weighs the number of unique visitors and page views per visit.

Equally surprising, Americans spend more time on Reddit than any other website in the top 20. The average Redditor dedicates 15 minutes per day to the site, compared to roughly 10 minutes for Facebook and 6 minutes for Instagram users.

Reddit has over 330 million monthly active users. About two-thirds are male, with the majority between the ages of 18 and 29. 30-49 year olds are somewhat common on the site, but there are few older visitors. Redditors tend to be well-educated (or in the process of becoming well educated.) Their household income is difficult to discern, partially because so many are students.

Reddit is working hard to be more brand friendly, recently introducing new video advertising options. Marketing on the site can be very effective if a company works to truly immerse themselves in the culture. Redditors are notorious for posting brutal comments about brands that are not good members of the community.

Sources: Business to Community 2018, Digital Trends 2018, Editor and Publisher 2018, Mediakix 2018, Tech Junkie 2018

Almost three quarters of Americans are convinced that social media companies sell their private data, while 58% think that smart speakers in their homes track and monetize their activities.

Consumers are less and less interested in trading personal information for specific benefits. Almost two thirds are no longer willing to share data to get a free service. Roughly the same percentage want no part in, "a more personal online experience," based on tracking.

Americans are taking action to protect themselves from companies’ sketchy online behavior. 64% have deleted apps, 47% adjusted privacy settings, and 27% avoided specific websites because of privacy concerns.

More and more consumers want the government to get involved. 55% think the US should do more to regulate tech companies, up from 40% four months ago. Americans are particularly interested in securing consumers’ right to make companies erase previously collected data.

What can companies do to minimize privacy concerns? Most consumers would be much more comfortable sharing their information if the company told them in advance how it would be used (not buried inside a 50-page terms of service.)

Sources: Blue Fountain Media 2018, eMarketer 2018, Kleiner Perkins 2018, Morning Consult 2018, OnlinePrivacyData.com 2018, Vision Critical 2018

Pinterest is treated as a second class social network by many brands. It shouldn’t be. Its user base includes half of all Millennials and 45% of US women. It is arguably the most effective social platform for converting members to purchasers.

At its core, Pinterest is all about shopping. 93% of Pinners are looking for shopping inspiration, and almost the same percent have made a purchase on the site. Those who buy tend to spend more than they planned and purchase items not on their original list.

While most social nets struggle with how to slip in ads without upsetting their users, Pinners are seeking information from brands. About two-thirds of Pinterest’s 50 billion pins are from brands, and the majority of consumers find that content very helpful.

For years, one of the biggest raps on Pinterest was that it skewed very female. I never understood why that was considered a bug rather than a feature. That said, 50% of those who joined Pinterest this year are male, adding more gender balance to the platform.

Sources: Business to Community 2018, Media Post 2018, Pinterest 2018

Generation Z is twice as likely to buy something because of a social post than a sale price. That’s just one of the intriguing differences between the youngest shoppers and other generations.

Gen Z (14 to 21 year-olds) make up 23% of the US population. For comparison, Millennials are 24%, Baby Boomers are 23%.

Some other fascinating facts about Gen Z’s shopping habits include…

• When faced with a purchase decision, they are likely to choose convenience over lower cost.
• They shop in brick and mortar stores more often than online.
• Members of Gen Z think virtual and physical retailers are equally good at meeting their needs for brand selection, convenience, a good shopping experience and price.
• 25% use retailers’ shopping apps.
• 55% have made a purchase after seeing a product advertised on social media. 57% bought something because of a social media influencer’s recommendation.
• More than any other generation, Gen Z thinks ads personalized based on their history and habits are cool, not creepy.

 
Understanding Gen Z is important because they are a large group and the trends they start are likely to be followed by other generations.

Sources: Hill Holiday 2018, IRI 2018, National Retail Federation 2017, PwC 2017