• by Tameka Kee , June 18, 2007

Marketers seeking to leverage the power of social media may want to focus on a group of Internet users called "Uploaders," according to new research conducted in the U.K. by Omnicom Group's interactive agency, Agency.com.

Users who actively upload videos, reviews and blogs make up only 8% of the approximately 2.3 million regular Internet users in the UK. But Agency.com found that these Uploaders were highly influential, and if engaged correctly, could have a "direct impact on brand growth and sales."

The agency profiled U.K. Internet users with a two-part study, commissioning Brand Genetics to quantify the behavior of some 600 users, and Hall & Partners for a qualitative video ethnography. The research found that Uploaders were socially connected and communicative--belonging to four times as many online communities than average and sending three times as many text messages.

These Uploaders also were 20% more likely to be early adopters, as well as "male, younger, better educated, and better off" than their average counterparts.

Recent studies in the U.S. have shown a far greater number of Uploaders, with widely varying demographics.

"Stateside data has shown such a high concentration of content creators," said Paul Verna, senior analyst, eMarketer. "And getting a numerical handle on who's uploading and who's not is easier said than done." According to market analysts, U.S. advertisers need to figure out who their key Uploaders are and have a clearly defined brand objective in order to leverage their social influence effectively.

"Advertisers need the ability to zero in on the Uploaders who have built credibility for themselves in their brand category, and understand how the audience gathers around those people," said Rob Crumpler, CEO, BuzzLogic. "Credibility is a major factor in a peer-to-peer relationship that can influence purchase behavior."

And while a brand should have specific goals and performance indicators, an Uploader-focused campaign strategy comes with an implied level of uncertainty. "Some brands are happier than others to let the consumer control the message, and for them, engaging content creators can be very successful," said Verna. "But even if a marketer decides not to take this kind of approach, everyone should be taking a look at it."

Agency.com recommends targeting Uploaders before an overall marketing plan even gets implemented. "These users want to be included at the product development and innovation stage," said Marianne Stefanowicz, Agency.com's director of marketing and public relations.