Channel roundup March 2015

Mobile retail on the up, it’s all about the frequency for social media, Google tests mobile app ads, some surprising facts about global use of the internet

UK mobile retail sees steepest rise since 2013
According to the latest research from IMRG and Capgemini, 40% of UK online retail sales in Q4 2014/15 (November to January) were completed through tablets and smartphones, up from 37% in the previous quarter. These new figures represent the steepest quaterly rise in the rate of mobile retail penetration since Q4 2013/14, when mobile devices accounted for 32% of online sales. Confidence in using smartphones for buying online also appears to be on the up, accounting for 25% of mobile sales completed through these devices and 75% through tablets over the past three months. This compares with a split of 80% for tablets and 20% for smartphones a year earlier in Q4 2013/14. ‘The impact of mobile on general user behaviour has been extremely significant – most of us now carry our phones around 24/7 and regard these devices as being a central part of everyday life’ says Tina Spooner, Chief Information Officer at IMRG.

How often should you post to Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook?
It is received wisdom that, if you’re a brand using social media to raise awareness of your products and services, build an engaged community of fans and customers, and drive footfall to your website, you need to update all of your channels at least once a day, every day. However, not all social networks are created equal – for example, studies have shown that Facebook works best if you post twice a day. After that, likes and comments begin to wane.

Research by social media management experts Buffer and SumAll backs this up:

• Pinterest works best with multiple posts – up to five a day
• Tweets should be posted a maximum of three times a day before interest drops off
• Google+ users prefer consistent posts throughout the day – traffic drops when engagement falls below three times a day

Google starts testing mobile app ads in the Play Store
Google has announced the launch of a pilot programme which will allow mobile application developers to advertise their apps directly within the Google Play store. The ads, which will initially be made available to advertisers already running search ads on Google.com, will only be shown against Google Play search results and won’t appear in other sections of Google Play. Advertisers will be able to bid on ads that match particular search queries, for example ‘hotel apps’ or ‘coupon app’. The mobile application would then appear at the top of the ranked search results returned from Google Play’s store. Google explained that 100 billion-plus Google.com searches each month have improved content discovery for users and advertisers alike, and the search ads on Google Play will do the same for app publishers.

Less than half of the word has ever connected to the Internet
Only 40% of the world has ever connected to the Internet and, unsurprisingly, those without access mostly live in developing nations, according to a new study published by Facebook-led Internet.org. The study found that 37.9% of Earth’s population uses the internet at least once a year, while more than 90% of the world’s population lives within the range of a mobile network, suggesting that mobile web is key to facilitating access for developing nations.