WOW! I’ve just read Steven Noble’s report on the state of Aussie Social Media for marcomms folk.
Steven has succinctly analysed the Australian marketplace, including noting that surprisingly (to some of us) nearly half of online Australians belong to some sort of social network.
In addition, only a quarter of Australians who are online don’t have anything to do with social media, making social activity VERY mainstream in Australia. Plus, the sort of people who are creating the content (the ‘sneezers’ in Seth Godin’s terminology) are more likely to earn more than those who don’t take part in this linked up world.
As Steven says,
Australian consumers are blocking marketing messages and turning to each other for advice. Three-quarters of Australian online adults now use social technologies, and one-quarter create their own content. With such a fundamental shift in how Australians use media, marketers must rethink their strategies. For example, to engage online women in Australia, interactive marketers should focus on content and connections. As a small, developed market that makes heavy use of social technologies, Australia is the perfect launchpad for global brands adopting social marketing tactics.
He goes on to show how one global brand successfully uses Australia as a test bed for social media initiatives, while another used YouTube to grow sales over its target volume growth by a whopping 5% — in global terms that is massive.
It’s a brilliant report, well worth the money spent on it, and I encourage everyone who is thinking of engaging with an Australian audience (we are the perfect testbed for global brands, by the way!) to nab a copy before your competitors do.
Nice one, Steve!
Disclaimer: after much begging, Sarah McAllan, Forrester’s Marketing Manager in Sydney, relented and sent me a courtesy copy — thanks, Sarah!
