According to a marketing report by Ofcom it’s ladies, addicted to online gossip, who are dominating the world of social networks these days.
Men aged between 18 and 34 make up only one quarter of Facebook users, compared to women in the same age bracket, who make up nearly a third.
Around six million women aged between 25 and 34 are swarming onto sites like MySpace, Bebo and Facebook every month – is this the shape of things to come?
If you were in any doubt as to whether it’s wise or not to talk to your customers online, take a look at these statistics care of Shiny Red:
-51% of customers believe brands should engage with them online.
-One third of respondents said in future they would spend more time on social networking sites.
-35% said they were more likely to visit a brand website if they had read about it somewhere else online.
-62% agreed information acquired online is often valued more highly than information acquired elsewhere.
-55% of respondents said ‘dishonesty’ and ‘heavy-handedness’ were the biggest turn-offs in terms of brand behaviour.
Pay close attention to that last statistic – exposing your soft underbelly to the public might make you feel vulnerable but, as always, honesty is the best policy.
Ever noticed that you’re always being given ‘top five tips for…’ not the top six? Or books promise ‘101 ways to…’ not 100?
According to copywriter Gymi Slezinger it’s all to do with the power of odd numbers. He reckons even numbers have ‘closure’, they don’t need anything. Odd numbers leave something hanging.
If you think about it, it’s not just marketing copy and self-help books: good things come in threes, apparently, and a stitch in time saves nine, if you believe popular opinion.
Sounds very simple but worth bearing in mind if you want to grab people’s attention.
NB Asked about top 10s, an obvious exception that works well in marketing copy, Gymi says it’s because they’re authorative.
Nice to have an answer for everything.
These aren’t all examples of online copy – but they should make us all think twice about that common vice when writing copy: over explaining:
We’re recruiting again – this time we’re looking for a senior content editor… if you’re interested, or you know anyone who you think would be a good addition to our team, check out the full job spec.
Not content with ASBO’s and raising the school leaving age to 18, the Government seem intent on making life hard for young people.
The Telegraph report in their story ‘Single parents will be made to seek jobs‘ that:
‘Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary,
announced yesterday that the age at which lone parents will be expected
to start seeking work will be cut from 16 to 12 next year.
In
2010, it will be reduced even further to just seven – four years lower
than the age recommended by the Government-commissioned Freud report on
future of welfare earlier this year.’
As a seven-year-old it must be hard enough coping with the responsibilities of parenthood but then to be forced into employment? Seems a little harsh.
Always a great idea to get someone else to check your copy.
Twitter: @qubemedia