Mail.Ru Group, a leading, LSE-listed Russian Internet company, has just published a survey on Russian users’ attitude towards social media advertising.
The survey has shown that social media advertising attracts more attention than ads on other platforms; that the content published by companies on their official pages helps build trust; and that brand discounts and promotions generate the greatest interest.
In particular, the study found that:
- 60% of respondents said that social media ads attract attention.
- 53% think that music and films have the most interesting ads.
- 44% are mostly interested in campaigns dedicated to clothes, shoes and fashion, and 43% to entertainment. 41% are interested in ads for gadgets, home appliances and electronics, and 38% in travel ads.
Users were also asked which categories of goods they bought after being exposed to social media ads. The survey revealed that ads for clothes, shoes and everything fashion-related have the highest conversion rates: 40% percent of users said they bought goods in this category after seeing ads. Ads in the beauty and health category prompted 32% to buy advertised products or services, while ads for children’s goods and games led 20% and 8%, respectively, to make purchases.
Two-thirds of social media users are subscribed to brand pages and groups. Women unsurprisingly show a greater interest in brand pages than men (72% against 58%). Among the main goals of subscribing, respondents cited the opportunity to receive relevant information about the promotions and discounts (79%) or about the brand’s products or services (74%). At the same time, the interest in taking part in contests and lottery drawings is quite high, attracting 55% of those asked.
Women are more likely to subscribe to brand pages on social networks than men, and the most active users are between 25 and 34 years of age.
“Advertising on social media is the most native, familiar and understandable format for active Internet users. Thanks to the growth of mobile-only audience and the volume of mobile traffic in general, users see personalized and geotargeted campaigns based on their needs and preferences. It boosts conversion and gives advertisers the opportunity to show relevant ads that are favorably received by consumers. In addition, the fact that people are interested in multimedia content promotes the growth of video advertising and provides an opportunity to experiment with formats,” said Elina Isagulova, Commercial Director of Mail.Ru Group.
The research was carried out in December 2016 in an online survey of 1,200 social media users over 14 years of age. All regions of the Russian Federation are represented in the survey.
Mail.ru Group owns two major social networks, VKontakte (VK) and Odnoklassniki (OK).
- You may download the full version of the research here (in Russian)
