New - The Point of Social study - Webinar

A major new study has found that social media advertising delivers 11% lower attention and engagement during the day, when consumers are most active out of the home. The findings, published today in The Point of Social report, highlight a clear opportunity for advertisers to get the most from their social campaigns and position out of home (OOH) as a channel to prime and amplify social media campaigns.

Commissioned by Posterscope, Bauer Media Outdoor UK, Global, JCDecaux UK, and Ocean Outdoor the study builds on 2023’s The Point of Search research and provides one of the most comprehensive examinations of social media behaviour out of the home to date. Consumer research by Norstat tracked 1,150 heavy social media users aged 18–65 through an online survey and a bespoke one-day mobile diary, comparing social media behaviour out of the home with at home.

The mobile diary research established that nine in 10 out of the home social media sessions took place between 8am and 6pm. Subsequent time of day analysis of 3.5 billion impressions across 11 advertisers’ annual social campaigns spanning multiple categories, shows that engagement per impression is consistently 11% lower during the day (8am-6pm) across link clicks, post engagements, page engagements and video plays compared to evening / early morning (6pm–8am). This identifies a clear attention gap during the day when social media usage is highest out of the home.

According to the mobile diary research, social media behaviour differs significantly out of the home compared to at home. At home usage is more passive, often instigated through habit or passing the time, while out of the home behaviour is more active, varied and driven by context. Social media out of the home is more likely to be used to explore products and services or get inspiration for things to do or places to go (47% vs 36%), share content (31% vs 17%) and capture moments through photos or videos (18% vs 9%). The study also indicates that social media use is triggered by a wider range of factors when people are out of the home, particularly things seen or conversations had.

The findings show that location and context play a significant role in shaping behaviour. Workplace environments drive higher levels of content viewing (75% vs a 68% out of the home average), while retail environments increase exploration of products, services, reviews or offers. On average, 21% of out of the home social sessions involve such exploration vs 13% at home, rising to 28% in shopping centres and 31% in shops and supermarkets. Leisure environments show similar patterns when it comes to exploring ideas of things to do or places to go.

The data also indicates that out of the home social media use is more outcome-driven, with users more likely to act, including visiting websites, continuing their search or making purchases. Social media use out of the home is also more likely to take place with others, with 44% of out of the home sessions occurring with other people compared to 23% at home. Out of the home social media sessions were also five times more likely to be conducted in the presence of friends (20%) vs at home (4%), suggesting social is more sociable when out of the home. 

You can watch the live webinar below