While many of us were overindulging in turkey, football and family get-togethers over the long weekend, others were busy as usual reading and sharing insights. Hot topics last week included mobile advertising for seniors and visual content marketing statistics.
MOST CLICKED: In “In With the Old: Mobile Marketing for Seniors,” Entrepreneur.com provided some useful reminders about mobile advertising targeted at seniors. In the article, Gilad Bechar, founder and CEO of a a mobile marketing agency called Moburst, urges advertisers to start by following the KISS rule (keep it simple stupid). Bechar reminds us that while seniors are the fastest growing group of social media adopters and are increasingly using mobile devices, research shows that people over 65 tend to prefer ads that are simpler, both visually and in terms of content.
By conducting A/B testing with two different ads — one with a colorful photo collage and one with a single photo of a woman — Moburst confirmed what Pew research has also shown: simpler images get better response rates from those aged 65 and older.
Bechar emphasizes that in-app processes aimed at older users must be clear and simple as well, and offers these tips:
- enlarge small buttons and text
- each time you request personal information, explain why you need it
- explain how the information you are collecting is going to improve their experience
MOST SHARES: In the Inc. article on “16 Eye-popping Statistics You Need to Know about Visual Content Marketing” author Larry King shares some useful information to consider when building your marketing programs. Below are his top 11 “eye-popping statistics” on how content and technology are changing behaviors (see the infographic from WebDAM, below):
- The average person gets distracted in eight seconds, though a mere 2.8 seconds is enough to distract some people.
- 81 percent of people only skim the content they read online. (Usability expert Jakob Nielsen has written that the average user reads at most 20 to 28 percent of words during an average visit.)
- People form a first impression in a mere 50 milliseconds.
- An estimated 84 percent of communications will be visual by 2018.
- An estimated 79 percent of internet traffic will be video content by 2018.
- Posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts.
- People are 85 percent more likely to buy a product after viewing a product video.
- Posts with videos attract 3X more links than text-only posts.
- Tumblr’s active user base has grown by 120 percent.
- Pinterest’s active user base has grown by 111 percent.
- Instagram’s active user base has grown by 64 percent.
As you look at these statistics in the context of what we know about seniors (remember the KISS rule above), what challenges do you see in applying this knowledge to the older generations? Share your thoughts with us!