It may seem like old news considering most of our friends and family spend more time online than watching TV but now there are official stats from Ipsos Reid to support this statement:

First time ever, Canadians are spending more time each week online than watching television.

The report finds that overall, Canadians are now spending more than 18 hours a week online, compared with 16.9 hours watching television.

Internet usage is up from 14.9 hours last year. The number of hours watching television also rose in the last year, from 15.8 hours in 2009. Usage of newspapers, radio and magazines have all remained relatively stable in the last year.

Some industry watchers have noted that the cost of watching TV is rising as cable TV companies and satellite operators raise the monthly cost of service. As that happens more people are watching TV online for free.

Later today, the CRTC is expected to rule on a so-called TV tax or fee for carriage, a cost cable companies have said could add another $10 a month to consumers’ bills if the regulator rules they have to pay broadcasters for their local signals.

In breaking down its survey, Ipsos Reid noted that males are spending significantly more time online than females–20 hours compared with 16.

In addition, 18-34 year olds are spending 20 hours a week online on average, compared with 18 hours for those over 35.

“In previous years we’ve seen significant differences between the generations and the amount of time they spend online,” said study author Mark Laver.

“The data indicates that not only are people of all ages spending more and more time online, but it also points to a shift in how online Canadians are consuming media and where they are spending their free time.

“Today, online Canadians are finding a myriad of entertainment options available to them within the walls of their homes. While some entertainment content has simply shifted from television to online, the Internet is also providing new content to Canadians.”

Take a look at a Style Agents feature from Metro Toronto:

& don’t forget to tune in to the Vaughan Mills YouTube Channel to catch the latest episodes of Style Agents Season 2!

Some say failure with social media is a sort of “rite of passage”…. but why not get it right the first time?

Here’s a list of not-to-dos:

1. Be fake

The social web isn’t meant to be the easy way to deceive people’s trust.
Example: Originally, companies like Walmart and Sony foolishly saw an easy opportunity in creating artificial relationships and tried to bluff their way into making consumers believe sites like Sony PSP or the Walmarting Across America blogs were written by the brand leaders themselves – when that wasn’t the case at all. However since then, both Sony and Walmart have learned from their early mistakes and now have social media sites that follow more honest (and effective) practices. If only they got it right the first time!

2. Fail to listen to your customers

Information must flow two ways. Social media and non traditional marketing succeed on customer interaction that personalizes the experiences. Listening is really the most important step in learning about social communities on the web. It’s important to monitor conversations on an ongoing basis about brands and analyzing what can be done differently. Luckily, there’s a great deal of social media monitoring tools to choose from.

3. Not understand formal & unwritten social rules

One of the few (only?) times it’s okay to be a stalker is in the participation with social communities, especially with commercial intentions in mind. You should try to know what you’re talking about in an effort to improve your brand’s online presence and encourage relationships. Not only do the web sites have their own Terms of Service guidelines, but the communities also have an unwritten code for behavior that can only be understood by observing and participating. Ignoring these guidelines will most likely result in alienation by the community.

4. Be pushy

One of the worst things a marketer can do is be overly pushy. I think we all speak from experience when we say these methods turn customers away from the brand. Being pushy in social media and expecting traditional marketing outcomes are common among companies that see social media as content distribution channels for existing marketing programs. (See Online Video For Newbies: Tip #3)  Straight forward sales pitches are frowned upon in social communities. A social (media) environment is meant for interaction amongst “friends” and likeminded individuals not sales message interruption sales messaging. Provide information in interactive ways facilitating choices that lead to sales, and you’ll get better results.

5. Approach social media channels as silos

Many companies make the prevalent mistake of approaching social media via individual web sites rather than as a collective execution.
Example: having one division do a blog, another Facebook page, and yet another a LinkedIn group does not create a consistent image. Not working together is inefficient and can create mixed messages for consumers that participate in more than one social media outlets for the brand.

6. Not know how to assess ROI

Let’s face it, marketers are concerned with the same bottom line – ROI. This is why it’s essential that a social media strategy includes a goal and ways of assessing business value by focusing on increased product awareness, sales or cost savings. Regardless of how value is determined, social media should be validated as a profitable marketing channel.

It’s no longer only about the “4 Ps” (product, promotion, price, placement) of the marketing mix. If anything, social media has helped us evolve past the initial mix into a more consumer friendly mix of “8 Cs” – Conversation, Connections, Community, Consumer, Control, Creative, Collaboration and Content.

Test your knowledge of online video marketing presented in a quiz by EyeView. Not to brag, but we got 5/5….

CLICK TO TAKE THE QUIZ

Hint:

The quiz reinforces popular online video assumptions with stats addressing launch triggers, call to action, auto play, landing pages and voice over accents. What’s important to take away from here is that results vary sometimes in drastic measures based on video presentations. It’s substantial for marketers to understand which video experiences drive the best performance for their specific target audience in order to bring the highest value to their videos.