In Search of a Golden Blend: Search + Social
We worked with Baidu to launch the first socially integrated Brandzone format for Chanel in China.
Today, when consumers search for something they may be interested in buying on search engines, their friends may also overlay their opinions and influence their purchase decision through their social network. Marketers start to realise the powerful integration of the two forces of search and social. And this integration is making search more social.
Consumers Drive Search Social Integration
Recently, my company had conducted two search social integration research studies both in the APAC region and in China. In the APAC study, 40 percent of the respondents indicated search leads to the increasing usage of social media, while 46 percent is just on the opposite (Graph 1).
Graph 1: Consumer Behaviour in Using Search and Social Media
The China research revealed that when Chinese consumers search for renovation products, 55.2 percent of them search information using both search and social media while 20.8 percent use search only, 11.2 percent use social only, and 11.2 percent use traditional media only (Graph 2).
Graph 2: Information Channel of Renovation Products
Search Engines Are Getting Social, Both in the U.S. and in China
In the western world, Google’s +1 aims to work similar to a Facebook like. This means that Google acknowledges the value of personal relevance and peer recommendation that has brought an adjustment to its search algorithm. Bing also leveraged social interaction specifically with Facebook in its search results. It recently had even further expanded its social search with deeper Facebook integration by rolling out new features such as Friend Effect, Collective IQ, and Conversational Search.
In China, our agency worked with Baidu to launch the first-ever socially integrated new Brandzone format for Chanel. The social buttons under the video on the right-hand side of the Brandzone allow search users to immediately share Chanel’s new product information with their friends on China’s Twitters – Sina Weibo and other microblogs (Graph 3).
Graph 3: Chanel Baidu Brandzone with Social Media Sharing Buttons
Search Social Integration Marketing Efforts
With search becoming more social, marketers are exploring various ways to integrate search and social. These include monitoring social media mentions to optimise paid search campaigns, driving inbound links through various social media channels, expanding social media coverage to increase organic rankings, and capturing social media frequent mentions to optimise SEO. These methods had proven to be effective through our search team’s experimental efforts.
We worked with a computer manufacturer on testing a search social integration campaign by monitoring and including highly mentioned keywords in social media to its search campaigns. From monitoring the social media, we learned that consumers are especially interested in stylishly designed laptops. All related keywords were included in a specially designed ad group in search engines for an entertainment-used laptop product. The effect was impressive with 31 percent decrease in CPC and 9 percent increase in CTR compared.
In our China study for the painting brand, the research finding showed that the effect of search plus social is greater than the combined effect of social alone plus search alone. From all three dimensions of brand awareness, reputation, and purchase intent influence, search combined with social has been proven to be the most effective in this study (Graph 4).
Graph 4: Advertising Effect on Brand Awareness, Reputation, and Purchase Intent
Today, search is no longer linear. It is becoming more dynamic with social. This presents a great opportunity for marketers. A golden blend of social insight integrated with search will effectively lead to the success of brand awareness and reputation building.
