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• Juvo • January 27, 2017
The Irish Social Media Landscape The Irish Social Media Landscape

The Irish social media landscape has continued to expand steadily in recent years, it has proven to be a useful tool in engaging with millennials who remain sceptical of traditional advertising. But as the industry has grown dynamics have changed and the challenges faced by Irish firms have evolved to include social media influencers and video content creation. Below is an examination of the Irish social media landscape in light of these developments.

Ireland’s social media landscape has grown significantly over the past five years, with the prevalence of social media usage among Irish businesses steadily rising since 2013. The CSO now ranks social media usage by Irish businesses as the second highest in the EU at 64% in 2015. An increase of 16% from 2013 figures. This trend is set to further intensify as 70% of marketing professionals interviewed for the 2016 Edelman Ireland Social Media Survey vowed to further increase future spending on Social Media. This increase in social media usage among Irish businesses coupled with changing consumer demands have radically remoulded the social media landscape in Ireland, changing how businesses engage with their customers.

But what makes up Ireland’s social media landscape today and why is it so important? Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram are actively used by Irish firms to market their businesses. 97% of Edelman’s survey participants agree that social media is important to their business, so much so that 95% of them have integrated social media into their traditional marketing activities. However, Ireland’s dynamic and rapidly evolving social media landscape has evolved beyond brands just having a social media presence. Consumers (millennials in particular) expect brands to actively engage with them.  In 2015 Forbes stated that 62% of millennials are more likely to become a loyal customer if a brand engages with them on social networks. Therefore, in order to effectively target millennials, 90% of whom use social media, Irish businesses have begun to invest more time and money in social media marketing and thus propelled growth in the industry.

 

Irish Social Media Landscape

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"97% of Edelman’s survey participants agree that social media is important to their business, so much so that 95% of them have integrated social media into their traditional marketing activities.”

Social media represents a millennial-friendly alternative to traditional advertising such as TV, newspaper and radio. A study by the McCarthy Group suggests that 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising. Consumers remain wary of corporate advertisements and instead rely on their peers to get information about a product or service. High levels of distrust and a fundamental shift in the source of information from the business to the consumer have presented a unique opportunity for businesses to harness social media as an effective way to increase brand awareness and boost sales.

 

Irish Social Media Landscape

 

One such trend to emerge from this growth is that of social media influencers. The relevance of these influencers to Irish businesses has increased dramatically as Ireland’s social media landscape has expanded. Social media influencers allow businesses to create a compelling brand narrative which plays an integral role in promoting company offerings. One such social media influencer who has taken Ireland by storm is James Kavanagh. Since quitting his job as a PR manager 2 years ago, James Kavanagh has come to dominate the Irish social media landscape. Hailed by the likes of the Irish Times as a Snapchat superstar, James is consistently ranked as one of Ireland’s top digital influencers. His following spans Snapchat, Twitter (9,041 followers), Facebook (22,376 likes) and Instagram (31,400 followers). James’ meteoric rise to the status of social media darling would not have been possible without the significant growth in Ireland’s social media landscape in the past three years. More and more Irish millennials, like James, are making careers out of their social media exploits. These savvy promoters are a valuable resource for Irish businesses wishing to make the most out of their social media strategy.

 

Irish Social Media Landscape

 

The future of the Irish social media landscape may very well rest in the hands of social media influencers like James Kavanagh. Over half of marketing professionals surveyed by Edelman revealed that they intended to increase their use of social media influencers. However, the clear trend emerging for the future of social media in Ireland is video content. A staggering 97% of those surveyed by Edelman indicated they wished to increase their use of video content in marketing campaigns for 2016. According to a recent report by Cisco, by 2019 video content will account for 80% of global internet traffic. Facebook and YouTube currently dominate the video arena. However up-and-comer Snapchat isn’t far behind, generating 6 billion daily video views.

With video set to hijack almost all social media traffic by 2019, Irish businesses need to create high quality, engaging video content that can be used across a range of platforms if they are to capture the advertisement-weary millennial segment. Juvo is one of the few companies operating in the Irish social media landscape that has invested the resources necessary to produce high quality video content for its clients. Anthony Joyce & Co. Solicitors and Rathcoole Commercial are two such firms Juvo has recently helped to capitalise on this trend towards video content creation. Both companies are leveraging video content to engage with potential customers across a range of social media platforms.

If you need help with your social media strategy, our team has the skills and experience to help you along your digital journey. From one-off consultancy to ongoing maintenance, Juvo can help you find a solution for your social media needs because we do digital. Contact us today on 01 525 2534 or email mark@juvo.ie.

Want to have a chat about your project? Juvo specialises in web design, web development and content creation. All you have to do is send us a message or call (+353) 1 525 2534 to talk with us today.

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