One article explains the five emerging user groups in 2019!

When China's Internet and mobile Internet demographic dividend is about to reach its peak, finding the "unsaturated" part - that is, new users and markets - has become one of the most concerned topics in the entire industry.

Where exactly is the “unsaturated” part though? Who are the new users? What are their Internet behaviors and characteristics? What marketing strategy should the brand adopt?

This article refers to the "2019-2020 China Internet Trends Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") released by Penguin Think Tank in January 2019 to analyze the future trends of market and user changes. In order to help marketers layout corners more intelligently and quickly, and find new "unsaturated" areas and new breakthroughs in brand marketing in China's Internet!

Trend 1: A large number of low-educated netizens

A Penguin Think Tank report shows that there are approximately 378 million mobile Internet users in my country with junior high school education or below (excluding students currently enrolled).

In terms of Internet use scenarios, low-educated users focus more on the two major social platforms, WeChat and QQ, and mobile entertainment projects such as watching TV series (65.4% penetration rate), short videos (54.3% penetration rate), watching jokes (52.9% penetration rate), and games (47.3% penetration rate);

In terms of consumption characteristics, quality, appearance design, and price are the key factors they value, followed by brand.

In terms of user preferences, they prefer health, life (things around them), and entertainment, while technology, finance, etc. are rarely involved; in addition, the mobile phones used by users are mostly domestic brands such as OPPO, VIVO, Huawei, and Xiaomi.

Marketing Tips:

1. Since people with low education levels are more inclined to seek fun and entertainment, commonly used popular apps such as social networking (such as WeChat, QQ, Momo, etc.), video (Tencent, iQiyi, Youku, etc.), and short video (such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Xigua, etc.) can all be used as important traffic entrances for brands to attract users. In addition, sections such as life, entertainment, health, and society in apps such as Qutoutiao and Pinduoduo, as well as information apps, have attracted a large number of low-educated users and can also become preferred channels for brands to place advertisements.

2. If the advertising material can better highlight the quality, appearance, price and other advantages of the product/service, it will be easier to arouse the audience's interest.

3. For marketers with limited budgets, mobile phone brand targeting (targeting domestic models around 2,000 yuan) can be carried out during the delivery process to spend money "wisely" and lock in more precise audiences.

Trend 2: Hot third-, fourth-, fifth-tier and rural netizens

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the population in my country's third-, fourth-, fifth-tier cities and below, as well as in rural areas, accounts for more than 80% of the total population.

In addition, the Penguin Think Tank Report shows that the average commuting time of netizens in third-, fourth-, and fifth-tier cities and rural areas is short - nearly half of users spend no more than 15 minutes on the road, and go to work earlier (more than 60% of users have entered the working state at 8:00);

Moreover, these people are more accustomed to going to bed late (nearly 80% go to bed after 23:00), and more male users aged 20-29 go to bed late.

In addition, netizens in third-, fourth-, and fifth-tier cities and rural areas are highly dependent on mobile phones, and spend more time on online novels and short videos.

As for offline entertainment, women prefer food streets, shopping malls, and cinemas, while men, in addition to the above places, also show more preference for Internet cafes, chess and card rooms, billiard halls and other places.

Marketing Tips:

1. Morning and evening commuting is not the peak active period for netizens in third-, fourth-, and fifth-tier cities or rural areas. However, the mid-/late-night hours of 12:00-14:00 and 17:00-24:00 when users are resting have a higher traffic advantage. Therefore, if the brand has sufficient budget and wants to grab more traffic and efficient exposure, it should launch advertising during this period.

2. Short videos, videos, reading, information, as well as beauty cameras, music and audio apps (such as Maichang), etc., can serve as the preferred traffic entrance for brands to attract third-, fourth-, fifth-tier cities and rural netizens.

3. Adopting the strategy of online and offline linkage (that is, the perfect integration of advertising creativity and offline scenes. For example, a restaurant uses LBS geo-fencing technology + intelligent engine recommendation technology. When users appear around the restaurant, they will be prompted with "Is it cold? Come to XX for a hot pot!"). This will better achieve the perfect integration of people, objects, and places (weather, geographical location, etc.), and easily impress consumers, forming a complete marketing closed loop.

Trend 3: Super New Generation (Post-00s and Post-05s)

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics: There are approximately 160 million people born in the 2000s and 2005s in my country, and most of them have at least one mobile phone in their hands!

In addition, the Penguin Think Tank Report shows that 74.9% of those born in the 2000s and 2005s go to bed after 11pm, and 34.2% even go to bed after 12pm, so they are used to eating midnight snacks. "Confused", "immature", "individuality" and "curiosity" are the most common labels for young people.

Reading, watching animation and news account for a large proportion of them;

Boys are more obsessed with sports, digital products, games, and IP peripherals, while girls prefer shopping, watching TV series, chasing stars, and pets;

In terms of consumption perspectives, young people are more eager for new things and also pursue low prices.

At the same time, girls pay more attention to appearance and style, while boys pay more attention to brand, technological content and practicality.

Marketing Tips:

1. Brand advertising can leverage popular IPs, entertainment stars, sports stars, animation elements, etc. that young people like to achieve perfect integration with the brand in order to gain more attention and favor from young people.

2. When placing advertisements for industries such as takeout, snacks, and beverages, you can focus on the peak hours of 21:00-24:00 to increase exposure and conversion.

3. In creativity, make good use of "crowd labels" (such as "Post-00s, look here..."; or add label elements most used by young people, such as growth, personality, dreams, friendship, etc.), "behavior labels" (such as "Are you hungry late at night and want to order takeout? Just choose XXX"), "pain points + solutions" (such as: "Want to wear branded clothes but don't have enough money? Come to Vipshop!") and other production ideas to easily arouse emotional resonance among young people and stimulate purchases.

4. It is recommended that brand advertisements incorporate some youthful, light-hearted and lively elements, such as the use of cartoon images, emoticons, buzzwords, etc., to cater to the preferences of young people.

5. In addition to social, video, short video, game, information and other channels, apps such as e-reading, comics (such as Kuaikan Comics), music and audio (such as Qingting FM, Maichang, etc.), and photography and beautification (such as Beauty Camera, etc.) have gathered a large number of young audiences and can therefore be used as the brand's preferred marketing position.

Trend 4: Middle-aged and elderly netizens are no longer isolated

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country has a population of approximately 670 million people aged 40 and above, of which the total number of Internet users exceeds 200 million.

The Penguin Think Tank Report also shows that there are fewer applications on the phones of middle-aged and elderly people, and most of them are social, news, video, short video, news, and karaoke apps;

In addition, middle-aged and elderly consumers pay more attention to cost-effectiveness, discounts, etc.; in addition to mobile phones, large-screen TVs are a frequently touched media.

Marketing Tips:

1. Social, video, short video, news, and karaoke apps can serve as important traffic entrances for brands to attract middle-aged and elderly users.

2. Advertising creativity must first understand the biggest pain points of middle-aged and elderly audiences (such as health concerns) and provide solutions based on the advantages of products or services. This promotes conversion by awakening users' emotional resonance.

3. Advertising creativity can include promises of benefits, preferential levels, etc. to stimulate the attention and purchase of middle-aged and elderly users.

4. Realize cross-screen data integration and linkage between OTT and mobile terminals, so that brand information can accurately and comprehensively reach all moments and scenes in the lives of middle-aged and elderly consumers and maximize the brand communication effect.

Trend 5: Singles

Data from the "China Statistical Yearbook 2018" shows that the size of my country's single population has reached 240 million.

The Penguin Think Tank Report shows that among these single netizens, the majority are "aristocratic" (i.e. those with certain consumption power).

They like sports, fitness, skin care, beauty, or watching TV series and playing games alone, and are more willing to learn and recharge.

In addition, independence, freedom and equality are what they advocate.

Marketing Tips:

1. "Convenience", "high quality", "personalization", "liberalization" and "customization" are the characteristics of the new generation of single consumers. Therefore, if brand advertising ideas reflect these values, it will be easier to impress single consumers and make them willing to pay.

2. Compared with married people, singles spend more time using their mobile phones and are more willing to pay for valuable content. Therefore, brand investment can focus on high-quality paid content media channels such as videos, music, comics, novels, and knowledge communities to target more high-value single aristocratic people.

3. Since the single group is large, before marketing, it is best for brands to segment the single group and provide more personalized products and services in a targeted manner to attract more valuable audiences through segmented population displays.

4. Brands can expand their product categories and reflect the applicability of their products or services to singles in their advertising ideas, such as "single-person hot pot", "mini household appliances", and "juicer for one person". This will make it easier for them to get a share of the single economy.

As economic growth faces more complexities, and when industry dividends and demographic dividends have bid farewell to wild growth, we may need to understand our users, especially those unsaturated and distant users, more than at any time in the history of China's Internet. Only in this way can the brand successfully break through the fierce market competition and make money again!

Source: AdxData