Digital American Newsletter

While we were all obsessed with social media, messaging apps became powerful marketing and customer service tools.

There are now just as many Americans active on messaging apps as on social media platforms. Across the two categories, Facebook and YouTube have the most monthly active users, followed by Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest have fewer users than either of the top 2 messaging apps.

Over half of online Americans use a messaging app. Globally, 60 billion messages are sent via apps each day, with 9 out of 10 opened within 3 seconds. The majority of consumers say they would rather message a business than call. Americans project they will use message apps even more in the future, at least partially due to their privacy and security.

WhatsApp launched a business version last year and expanded to a desktop client in January 2019. Over 5 million businesses use the app for customer support and marketing. Marketers who have run successful campaigns on WhatsApp include Hellmann’s in Brazil, Absolut Vodka in Argentina, and Agent Provocateur.

Sources: Adweek 2019, Digital Information World 2018, eMarketer 2018, Forbes 2018, Hootsuite 2018, Venture Beat 2019

QR codes were unofficially declared dead in 2016. Marketers quietly gave up and moved on to the next new thing.

Now they are back with a vengeance. Over a quarter of all US smartphone owners, and an even greater percentage of tablet users, scanned one in the past month. Yes, the past month.

What’s driving the resurgence? First, the latest smartphones have QR code functionality built into their cameras. No more downloading clunky apps and messing around with separate readers. Second, social media platforms ranging from LinkedIn to Snapchat have adopted them. Finally, retailers like Target, Starbucks and Amazon Go are leveraging the codes to make paying more convenient.

Brands are catching on to QR codes’ potential. Porsche Cayenne Turbo recently ran a campaign that allowed consumers who scanned a QR code to personalize their own vehicle on a custom microsite. Other companies are experimenting with QR codes that go beyond just connecting to a website—they help users automatically follow social media profiles, calendar events and download coupons.

Sources: Digital Operative 2018, G2crowd 2019, Globalwebindex 2019, Media Genius 2018

During the first five weeks of holiday season 2018, consumers buying products online and picking them up instore increased by 48% while total online sales rose 18% versus the same time last year. What’s more, when they went to the store to pick up their purchases, a third of shoppers bought at least one additional impulse item.

Consumers love “click and collect” because they get immediate gratification, don’t have to wait in line, avoid shipping costs, and get the freshest possible products. Traditional retailers like it because they utilize their investment in brick and mortar, leverage their full warehouse inventory, plus eliminate the complexities of shipping.

Retailers believe click and collect may be the key to thwarting Amazon. Walmart expanded their program so 70% of Americans are close enough to shop for groceries online and pick them up instore. Best Buy and Home Depot report over 40% of their online orders are collected by consumers.

61% of Americans have tried click and collect. Heavy users tend to be 35-44 years old with higher incomes. They are most likely to use the service at retailers that offer a wide range of merchandise.

Sources: BizTech 2018, CNN 2018, CPG Matters 2018, Foresee 2018, Grocery Dive 2018, Retail Dive 2018

TikTok is the most downloaded app of 2018, ahead of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram.

What is TikTok? It’s an app that allows users to create 15 second videos with special effects and filters. Many of the videos include music, and the apps’ unique lip-syncing feature is hugely popular. Similar to Instagram, users can follow, "heart," or comment on videos.

Other fast facts about TikTok:

• It has been downloaded 80 million times in the US, and 800 million times globally.
• There aren’t solid statistics yet, but it appears to be most popular with tweens and teens.
• Users variously describe the app as "hilarious," "addictive" and "cringeworthy."
• TikTok is famous for challenges, where users try to one-up each other with videos focused on a specific song or theme.
• Jimmy Fallon and Tony Hawk are early adopters.
• Brands, including Guess and Universal Pictures, are experimenting with it.
• TikTok has no official ad format yet.
• The platform’s success led Facebook to launch a copycat called Lasso last month.

 
Despite the app’s meteoric rise, its future is uncertain. Do you remember Ello? Vine? Yik Yak? Neither do most consumers.

Sources: The Atlantic 2018, CNBC 2018, CNN 2018, Digiday 2018, Slate 3018, Wired 2018

Most brands’ #1 source of referral traffic is dark social, ahead of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks combined. Experts estimate dark social now accounts for roughly 65% of content shared.

What is dark social? It is sharing that occurs in ways that cannot be tracked by traditional web analytics—primarily message apps, professional messaging channels (like Slack), and email.

The growing importance of dark social is driven by two key trends. First, public sharing across social platforms has declined, especially on Facebook. Second, usage of private messaging apps (WhatsApp, Viber, etc.) has skyrocketed. There are now more total monthly active users on the top messaging apps than on the top social media.

Dark social will continue to expand as consumers’ privacy concerns increase.

By its very definition, dark social is hard to track. Currently, tools are being created to estimate its impact, including a Dark Social Calculator from Google Analytics.

Sources: Business2Community 2018, BuzzSumo 2018, Get Social 2018, Martech Advisor, 2018, Media Post 2018, SmartInsights.com 2018