Welcome to the most recent edition of Tuesday Newsday, where you can find a roundup of what’s new in digital marketing, social media and content. Continue reading to find out how DNA testing could be the next big thing in marketing, how an NBA team increased their digital revenue by 300% and which type of referral traffic snagged the number one spot in 2017.
Could Consumer DNA Be The Next Marketing Frontier?
Maybe you’ve personally submitted a saliva sample to 23andMe, Ancestry.com, FamilyTree DNA or another genetic testing company to find out more about your ancestral lineage. Or if you haven’t undergone genetic testing yourself, you probably know someone who has. That’s because direct-to-consumer genetic testing is becoming increasingly commonplace, and the industry is expected to grow up to 5x by 2020 – swelling to a $240 million enterprise.
But what if that saliva sample can not only reveal that you’re 22% Eastern European, but also uncover insights into your lifestyle and personal preferences? DNA insights may very well be the new data set for the modern digital marketer. Even though some experts have presented concerns over the scientific legitimacy of some of the connections between DNA and lifestyle insights, plenty of consumers are eager to suspend disbelief in exchange for this one-of-a-kind data.
Consider the influx of DNA-powered apps hitting the digital marketplace:
- MyTraits Sport: Suggests various fitness activities and helps you meet your fitness goals using DNA insights.
- DNA Romance: Matches users to one another based on their complementary DNA.
- SlumberType: Helps users achieve better sleep by offering a personalized sleep strategy based on DNA insights.
- Wine Explorer: Delivers curated wine recommendations specifically selected based on your DNA.
As genetic testing companies continue to explore the links between DNA and lifestyle, more businesses will push to access this genetic data for ultra-targeted marketing purposes. Think about it – what if your company could use gathered DNA profiles to build buyer personas that represent your target audience? What if you could use DNA insights to enhance the appeal of your existing product offerings?
For a more in-depth analysis of using consumer DNA in digital marketing, read Zach Brooke’s article – Genetically Modified Marketing – published on AMA (American Marketing Association).
New Digital Marketing Strategy Brings An NBA Team Success Off The Court
With Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green on the court and Coach Steve Kerr on the sidelines, the Golden State Warriors are poised for success in the NBA. But the Warriors are making it their mission to dominate off the court, too. Three years ago, the Warriors didn’t even rank in the NBA’s top five teams for highest digital revenue, but thanks to their new digital marketing strategy, they’ve now hit the number one spot.
So how did the Golden State Warriors’ digital revenue increase 300% this season compared to last season? Forbes staff writer, Kurt Badenhausen, covers the NBA team’s incredible growth in his recent article.
The Warriors started their digital journey by hiring Rebel Ventures – a digital strategy agency – who evaluated the team’s current content model and compared it to digital trends at large. They recommended switching to an impression-based model, ultimately generating more than 600 million impressions across all of their social channels. The Warriors also partnered with Wasserman to conduct valuable market research on their social media followers. The data revealed that 40% of their 11 million Facebook fans were located in the Philippines. Based on these insights, the NBA team started targeting Filipino brands for sponsorship ads to appeal to their fan base.
In the world of professional sports, the NBA has some of the youngest fans – and their target demographic consists of digital natives. By placing emphasis on their digital content, the Golden State Warriors were able to successfully market to these fans, leading to:
- 29 million followers on their combined social media channels
- Team sponsorship revenue increasing by 25%
- Digital sponsorship revenue increasing by 300%
Search Beats Out Social For Referral Traffic In 2017
According to new research conducted by Shareaholic, search outperformed social media platforms in the percentage of overall traffic it delivered in 2017. This is the first time search beat out social in overall referral traffic since 2014.
Before Shareaholic crunched the numbers, they analyzed a variety of diverse websites from many different industries, including food and beverage, technology, sports, marketing and fashion. They looked at sites with as few as 1,000 unique monthly visitors and as many as 1 million unique monthly visitors. After analyzing the number of site visits referred by direct traffic, social media, organic search and paid search, Shareaholic discovered that:
- 34.8% of site visits in 2017 came from search
- 25.6% of site visits in 2017 came from social
Although Facebook remained the top social network for referral traffic in 2017, their overall numbers dropped significantly. This drop could be attributed to their recent news feed algorithm changes, in which they penalized click-bait articles and spam in an attempt to combat “fake news.”
For additional insights into Shareaholic’s 2017 report, read Search Engine Land’s recently published article, written by Amy Gesenhues.
Check back next Tuesday for another round of relevant industry news, and stay informed with other recent posts in our Tuesday Newsday series:
Snapchat Analytics, Instagram Screenshot Alert And More
Facebook Loses More Young People, Instagram Sharing And Bigger AMP Article Images
#BrandBowl Winners, Instagram Scheduling And More Facebook Updates
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