Crimson, YouKnow launch social analytics-based trends report

The extensive 34-page report, compiled from a dataset of approximately 1.5bn public posts, focuses on four key industries or sectors undergoing significant change: Travel and Hospitality; Technology and Entertainment; Fitness and Sport; and Automotive, and very specific topics within each of those. They looked at local data over the last four years (2012-2016) across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as blogs and forums in some cases.

The future of social media analytics

Jessica Tennant  22 Aug 2016

Kelvin Jonck

Kelvin Jonck, MD at YouKnow Digital, took us through some of the most interesting findings, but before doing so, he clarified that their focus is on what people are actually saying from an unsolicited perspective. “Social listening is important because it provides an essential route for gaining insights into what people are really talking about… The insights they’re telling us about their lives, their desires, their interests and their habits.”

Key findings

Travel and Hospitality

• Family holidays are a central feature in the discussion around travel, with 26% of the discussion.
  
• 76% of the discussion around holiday and travel intent is happening on Twitter.
  
• From May 2016 onwards, Instagram has been the fastest growing content source for intention to travel, growing by 32% compared to the previous year.
  
• Beach-related conversation outdid bush-related conversation by a ratio of 2.7 to 1.

Technology and Entertainment

• During 2016, 58% watched Showmax vs the 42% who claimed to watch Netflix.
  
• Issues with pricing may also have been a factor, as Netflix does not price in rand.
  
• Nearly half (43%) of viewers still used a traditional/smart TV when streaming shows.
  
• Showmax has an older audience than Netflix, with 93% of contributions to the conversation coming from the over 25s, compared to 82% for Netflix.
  
• Android dominates over iOS, capturing 76% of share of voice between January 2014 to 31 December 2016.

Fitness and Sport

• Twitter and Facebook both saw a 65% decline in gym-related posts over the four-year period.
  
• The over-35s make up a disproportionate amount of conversation volume around gym-going; over twice the amount of the next largest age group (25-34).
  
• Crossfit is on the rise on Instagram, making up the highest volume of content from Instagram (18%).
  
• People are shifting away from running towards cycling. Cycling has captured 8% of running’s volume over a 4-year period.

Automotive

• BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Audi and Ford are the most frequently mentioned of the top selling car brands in SA.
  
• Twitter is responsible for most of the conversation around automotives, with an 83% chunk of the overall volume.
  
• 58% of the conversation around servicing vehicles is negative.
  
• BMW receives the most positivity of any brand; 35% positive and only 19% negative.

According to the press release, South Africans are increasingly active across social media platforms, with the country’s 26.8 million internet users spending almost three hours a day on social media. With only 27% social media penetration as of January 2017, there’s still plenty of room for growth, which is why YouKnow is going to put up more regular reports of this sort going forward. Good news for marketers wanting to gain a better understanding of South African consumers and the local mindset.

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