2016 Social Media Impact

Report: B2C Industry Edition

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We all learn from the best. So what

could you learn from the best brands
in your industry?

For this report, we used the TrackMaven software

platform to analyze 10 months of content from 213
leading B2C brands on 5 key social networks to
understand the impact of social media for
B2C marketers.

THE B2C INDUSTRIES ANALYZED IN THIS

REPORT INCLUDE:

The findings presented in this report show how industrydisruptive brands find audiences on saturated social
networks, and how innovative social strategies keep
long-established brands on top. We also compare the
impact of different B2C industries on social media,
including detailed industry breakdowns with best
practices and recommendations.

Apparel

Hospitality

Automakers

Insurance

Consumer Products

Restaurants

Entertainment

Retailers

Food & Beverage

Telco & Cable

Learn which social networks drive the greatest impact for

your peers, and see how your brand measures up against
industry-specific benchmarks.

I. Executive Summary

II The B2C Social Media Landscape: How Do B2C Industries Stack Up On Social Media?

How Do B2C Industries Stack Up By Audience Size?

Where Do B2C Industries See Engagement?

10

III. Industry Case Studies

11

Apparel

12

Automakers

13

Consumer Products

14

Entertainment

15

Food & Beverage

16

Hospitality

17

Insurance

18

Retailers

19

Restaurants

20

Telco & Cable

21

IV. About the Data

FOLLOWER GROWTH VS. ENGAGEMENT RATIO FOR B2C INDUSTRIES:

THE B2C SOCIAL MEDIA LANDSCAPE:

HOW DO B2C INDUSTRIES STACK UP ON
SOCIAL MEDIA?

JANUARY - OCTOBER 2015

Which industries drive the greatest ROI from social

media? The graph to the right provides a high-level
answer for B2C marketers.

Hospitality
50

This graph plots the average follower growth and content

engagement measured across Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest by industry.

The size of the bubble reflects the median total audience

size for a brand in each industry on Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest combined.

Analysis based on social media accounts from

213 B2C brands across Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn from January
2015-October 2015.

40

35

% FOLLOWER GROWTH

Industries with the greatest average follower growth per

brand score highest along the Y-axis. Industries with the
greatest engagement ratio measured as the average
number of interactions per post per 1,000 followers
score highest along the X-axis.

45

30

25
Entertainment

Insurance

20

15

Apparel
Automakers
Consumer Products

Restaurants

10
Retailers

SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE

0.5
Telco & Cable

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Food Beverage

ENGAGEMENT RATIO
(Average Interactions Per Post Per 1000 Followers)

4.5

5.0

5.5

B2C Social Media Landscape:

Key Takeaways

APPAREL, INSURANCE, AND

ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS ARE IN
THE SOCIAL MEDIA SWEET SPOT.

WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL

ENGAGEMENT, AUTOMAKER
BRANDS RULE THE ROAD.

Brands in these industries have both

substantial audience growth and content
engagement on social media, indicating
highly impactful social content.
The Apparel industrys 18.62% average
follower growth per brand is especially
impressive given the large overall
social following.

Across the B2C landscape, automakers

have the most engaged social media
audiences with an average engagement
ratio of 5.62. Insurance brands are a
distant second (2.43).

HOSPITALITY BRANDS ARE ADEPT

AT GROWING THEIR AUDIENCES.

FOOD & BEVERAGE AUDIENCES

ARE SHRINKING.

Across the B2C landscape, brands in the

hospitality sector see the highest social
media audience growth, with 53.34%
follower growth on average, despite the
fact that their engagement level is just
middle-of-the-pack compared to the rest
of the B2C industries.

Food & Beverage is the only industry with

negative follower growth across the period
of study (-0.06%). Across the industry,
large beverage brands including CocaCola and Dr. Pepper experienced a
decline in Facebook followers across 2015.
This could be due to Facebooks cleanup
of inactive accounts, as well as due to the
brewing backlash against big soda.

How Do B2C Industries Stack Up By Audience Size?

The graph below displays the median social media audience size for B2C brands by
industry across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

B2C SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE BY INDUSTRY

Apparel
Automakers
Restaurants
Consumer Products

Twitter

Telco & Cable

Pinterest

Food & Beverage

Linkedin
Retail
Instagram
Hospitality
Facebook

Entertainment
Insurance
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

MEDIAN AUDIENCE SIZE BY CHANNEL

By millions of followers

Analysis based on social media accounts from 213 B2C brands across
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn from January
2015-October 2015.

3.0

3.5

4.0

Audience Size: Key Takeaways

FACEBOOK IS A FOLLOWER
FEEDING GROUND.
Across industries, B2C brands have
the largest median audience sizes on
Facebook. Among B2C industries,
restaurant brands have the largest
median Facebook audience (2.8 Million
Page Likes).

APPAREL & AUTOMAKER BRANDS

CULTIVATE CHANNEL VARIETY.
While Facebook dominates the overall
social audience for the majority of B2C
industries, Apparel and Automaker brands
have significant audiences on a diverse
mix of channels.

APPAREL BRANDS ARE SOCIAL

MEDIA BEHEMOTHS.
On Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest,
Apparel brands sport the largest median
audience sizes (952K, 545K, and 18K,
respectively). Apparel brands also
sport the 3rd largest median Facebook
audience (2.3 million Fans).

CONSUMER PRODUCT AND BRANDS

CONNECT ON LINKEDIN.
At 748K, the median LinkedIn audience
for Consumer Products brands is 5X
greater than that of brands in all other B2C
industries.

Where Do B2C Industries See Engagement?

B2C SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT RATIO BY INDUSTRY
The graph below displays the engagement ratio measured as the average
number of interactions per post per 1,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. In other words, the bigger the bubble, the
more engagement a brand in the industry gets on that social network.

Consumer Entertainment
Products

Apparel

Automakers

0.2

0.4

0.7

0.4

1.2

2.1

Food &
Beverage

Hospitality

Insurance

Restaurants

Retail

Telco & Cable

0.6

0.6

0.3

0.4

1.0

0.2

0.2

1.2

1.0

0.9

2.6

1.9

0.8

0.4

20.2

9.3

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

28.3

13.6
3.5

3.8

75.5

0.4

2.6

0.2

1.1

1.1

0.3

1.8

0.8

1.0

0.6

1.4

0.5

0.5

13.7

40.6

15.2

14.9

34.7

20.8

48.6

15.0

17.9

9.0

Linkedin

Instagram

Engagement Ratio: Key Takeaways

B2C BRANDS FAIL TO ENGAGE ON TWITTER.
Industry-wide, B2C brands see minimal engagement
ratios on Twitter. Restaurant brands perform best on
Twitter, but still sport a measly engagement ratio of 1
interaction per post per 1,000 followers on average.
DESPITE MYRIAD FANS, FACEBOOK FLOUNDERS.
B2C brands have plentiful Facebook fans, but their
Facebook audiences engage minimally, likely due to
overall decreases in organic reach on the network. B2C
brands see a higher ratio of interactions on Instagram and
Pinterest.
INSTAGRAM IS THE B2C ENGAGEMENT WINNER.
With the exception of the Consumer Products and
Telcommunication & Cable industries, B2C brands see
the highest engagement ratios on Instagram.
TELCO & CABLE AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS
BRANDS SOAR ON PINTEREST.
Believe it or not, these two industries are Pining their way
to greater brand engagement. Well explore this finding
further in the industry breakdown sections of this report
(pages 20 and 13, respectively).

Industry Case Studies

Apparel

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

Facebook is where Apparel brands see the largest audiences (2.3

million Page Likes). Compared to other B2C industries, however,
Apparel brands are also well-represented with sizable audiences on
Instagram and Twitter.

INSTAGRAM
952

FACEBOOK

Instagram is the most effective channel for Apparel brands, with

an average engagement ratio of 13.71. LinkedIn is the second most
effective channel (1.12 engagement ratio).

2,282
PINTEREST
18
TWITTER

Outerwear brands are top performers on Instagram (24.9

engagement ratio), 2X the engagement ratio of Casual Clothing
(13.8), Footwear (12.9), and High Fashion (11.8) brands on average.

545
LINKEDIN

Analysis based on the top 27 apparel brands in the Global 500 and leading apparel brands on
social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

91

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
13.71
LINKEDIN
1.12

24.9

13.8

OUTERWEAR

CASUAL CLOTHING

12.9

11.8

FOOTWEAR

HIGH FASHION

PINTEREST
0.49
FACEBOOK
0.43
TWITTER
0.17

11

Automakers

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Facebook is where Automaker brands have the largest median

audience size on Facebook (2.6 million Page Likes).

Instagram is the most effective channel for Automakers, with an

average engagement ratio of 40.68. Pinterest is the second most
effective channel (2.69 engagement ratio).

INSTAGRAM
289
FACEBOOK

Luxury car brands out-engage Standard brands on Instagram, with

an engagement ratio of 37.6 versus 22.4.

TWITTER

Analysis based on the top 25 automaker brands in the Global 500

and leading automaker brands on social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

2585

459

LINKEDIN
25

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
40.6
PINTEREST
2.6
FACEBOOK
1.2
LINKEDIN
1.1
TWITTER
0.4

12

37.6

22.4

LUXURY

STANDARD

Consumer Products

TOP CHANNEL: PINTEREST

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Facebook is where Consumer Product brands have the largest

median audience size (1.6 Million Page Likes).

Pinterest is the most effective channel with an average engagement

ratio of 28.33. Instagram is the second most effective channel (15.22
engagement ratio).

INSTAGRAM

LOreal Paris is a top performer on Pinterest in this industry, with

6X the industry median follower count and nearly 2X the average
engagement ratio.

FACEBOOK

1,579

LINKEDIN

Analysis based on the top 15 consumer products brands in the Global 500 and leading consumer
products brands on social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

748
TWITTER
64

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

LOREAL VS. INDUSTRY AVERAGE ON PINTEREST

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

PINTEREST
28.33
INSTAGRAM
15.22
FACEBOOK
2.16
TWITTER
0.69
LINKEDIN
0.26

13

NUMBER OF
FOLLOWERS

ENGAGEMENT
RATIO

LOREAL

INDUSTRY AVERAGE

7,999

1,278

45.7

28.3

Entertainment

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Facebook is where brands entertainment industry have the largest

median audience (210K Page Likes).

0.8

Entertainment brands have the highest engagement ratio on

Instagram (14.96). Pinterest is the second most effective channel
(3.54 engagement ratio).

TWITTER
181

On Instagram, Event Management brands out-engage Casino brands

(16.7 versus 13.7 engagement ratios).

Analysis based on the top 11 entertainment brands in the Global 500

and leading entertainment brands on social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

FACEBOOK

LINKEDIN

210

9
INSTAGRAM
19

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
14.96
PINTEREST
3.54
LINKEDIN
1.78
FACEBOOK
1.27
TWITTER
0.59

14

16.7

13.7

EVENT MANAGEMENT

CASINOS

Food & Beverage

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Facebook is where Food & Beverage brands have the largest median
audience size (1.8 Million Page Likes).
Instagram is the most effective channel, with an engagement ratio
of 34.71. Pinterest is the second most effective channel (13.69
engagement ratio).
On Instagram, beer brands (26.2 engagement ratio) out-engage soda
brands (23.3), energy drink brands (18.9), and food manufacturers
(13.3).

Analysis based on the top 38 food & beverage brands in the Global 500 and leading food &
beverage brands on social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

INSTAGRAM
36

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

1845

74
LINKEDIN
69

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
14.96
PINTEREST
3.54

26.2

23.3

BEER MANUFACTURERS

SODA MANUFACTURERS

18.9

13.3

ENERGY DRINK
MANUFACTURERS

FOOD MANUFACTURERS

LINKEDIN
1.78
FACEBOOK
1.27
TWITTER
0.59

15

Hospitality

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Hospitality brands have the largest median audience size on

Facebook (350K Page Likes).

Instagram is the social network with the highest engagement ratio

for hospitality brands (20.82).

On Instagram, Autoservices brands out-engage Lodging brands on

average (24.5 versus 18.1 engagement ratio).

LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK

160

350

Analysis based on the top 15 hospitality brands in the Global 500 and leading hospitality brands on
social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

INSTAGRAM

48

21

ENGAGEMENT RATIO
(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

Pinterest
28.33
INSTAGRAM
20.82

PINTEREST
3.83
LINKEDIN
1.04
FACEBOOK
0.94
TWITTER
0.25

16

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

24.5

18.1

AUTOSERVICES

LODGING

Insurance

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Insurance brands have the largest median audience size on

Facebook (123K Page Likes), as well as a sizeable LinkedIn audience
(81K followers).

0.3

Instagram is the social network with the highest engagement ratio

for Insurance brands (48.6). Pinterest is the second most effective
channel (20.29).

LINKEDIN

FACEBOOK

81

123

On Instagram , Property & Casualty Insurance brands out-engage

Life Insurance brands on average (48.8 versus 28.7 engagement
ratios).

Analysis based on the top 18 insurance brands in the Global 500 and leading insurance brands on
social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

INSTAGRAM

16

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
40.60
PINTEREST
20.29
FACEBOOK
2.67
LINKEDIN
0.65
TWITTER
0.36

17

43.8

28.7

PROPERTY & CASUALTY

INSURANCE

LIFE INSURANCE

Restaurants

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

For Restaurant brands, Facebook is King (median 2.8 Million Page

Likes). Restaurants have yet to find substantial audiences on other
social channels.
Instagram is the social network with the highest engagement ratio
for restaurant brands (15.08). Pinterest is the second most effective
channel, with an engagement ratio of 9.32.
On Instagram, Fast Food brands out-engage Full-Service brands
(21.4 versus 18.4 engagement ratios).

INSTAGRAM
71

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

2,781

24

Analysis based on the top 15 restaurant brands in the Global 500 and leading restaurant brands on
social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

LINKEDIN
21

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
15.08
PINTEREST
9.32
FACEBOOK
1.92
LINKEDIN
1.42
TWITTER
1.01

18

21.4

18.4

FAST FOOD

FULL SERVICE

Retail

TOP CHANNEL: INSTAGRAM

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

Retailers have the largest median audience size on Facebook (1.8

Million Page Likes).

PINTEREST
1

Instagram is the social network with the highest engagement ratio

for Retailers by far (17.99). Facebook is a distant second for retailers,
with an engagement ratio of 0.80.

LINKEDIN
160

On Instagram, Mass Merchant brands perform especially well (21.7

engagement ratio), beating out Department Store (14.6) and Grocers
(16.2) brands on average.

Analysis based on the top 34 retail brands in the Global 500 and leading retail brands on social
media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

INSTAGRAM

350

TWITTER
48

21

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

INSTAGRAM
17.99
FACEBOOK
0.80
LINKEDIN
0.54
TWITTER
0.24
PINTEREST
0.22

19

21.7

14.6

MASS MERCHANT

DEPARTMENT STORE

16.2
GROCERS

Telco & Cable

TOP CHANNEL: PINTEREST

KEY TAKEAWAYS

MEDIAN SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE SIZE IN THOUSANDS

PINTEREST

Telco & Cable brands have the largest median audience size on
Facebook (2.1 Million Page Likes).

Pinterest is the social network with the highest engagement ratio for
Telco & Cable brands (75.58), significantly greater than other B2C
industries. Instagram is a distant second with an engagement ratio of
9.00.

On Pinterest, Telco Carriers drastically out-engage Cable & Satellite

brands. Look at Verizon and AT&Ts Pinterest boards, for example,
which are top-performers in the industry.

Analysis based on the top 15 Telcommunications & cable brands in the Global 500 and leading
Telcommunications & cable brands on social media as identified by the TrackMaven platform.

2
INSTAGRAM
32

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

2,095

80
LINKEDIN
84

ENGAGEMENT RATIO

PINTEREST SUBSECTOR ENGAGEMENT RATIO

(AVERAGE INTERACTIONS PER POST PER 1,000 FOLLOWERS)

PINTEREST
75.58
INSTAGRAM
9.0
LINKEDIN
0.51
FACEBOOK
0.39
TWITTER
0.17

20

88.2

0.83

TELCO CARRIERS

CABLE & SATELLITE

ABOUT THE DATA

For this report, we used the TrackMaven software platform to analyze the social media content
from 213 leading B2C brands from January 1, 2015, through October 31, 2015. The dataset
includes the top B2C brands in the Global 500 and B2C leaders on social media identified by the
TrackMaven platform. The brands included in the dataset for this report are listed below:

Apparel
7 For All Mankind
Adidas
ARCTERYX
Converse
Dior
Donna Karan
Fendi
Lee
Levis
LVMH
Marc Jacobs
Marmot
Michael Kors
Nike

Patagonia
Puma
Ralph Lauren
Reebok
Reef
REI
The North Face
Thomas Pink
Timberland
Tommy Hilfiger
TOMS
Vans
Wrangler

Automakers
Audi
BMW
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
Dodge
Fiat
Ford
General Motors
GMC
Honda
Hyundai
Jeep

21

Kia
Lexus
Lincoln Motor
Company
Mazda
Mercedes-Benz
Mini
Nissan
Porsche
Subaru
Tesla
Toyota
Volkswagen USA

Consumer Products
Bounty
Braun
Colgate
Colgate-Palmolive
Crest
Gillette
Irish Spring Soap
Johnson &
Johnson

Kimberly Clark
Loreal USA
Old Spice
Palmolive
Procter & Gamble
Tide
Unilever

Entertainment
Caesars Palace
Eventbrite
Las Vegas Sands
Live Nation
Events
Melco Crown
Entertainment
MGM Grand

Casino
Penn National
Gaming
StubHub
TicketFly
Ticketmaster
Wynn Las Vegas

Food & Beverage

Anheuser Busch
Archer Daniels
Midland
Asahi
Bud Light
Budweiser
Carlsberg
Coca-Cola
Coors Light
Corona
Danone
Diet Coke
Dr. Pepper
Fanta
Gatorades
General Mills
Goose Island
Heineken
JBS
Kelloggs
Kirin

LabattUSA
Michelob Ultra
Miller Lite
Mondelez
International
Monster Energy
MountainDew
PabstBlueRibbon
Pepsi
Pepsico
Powerade
Red Bull
Rockstar Energy
Samuel Adams
Sprite
Stella Artois
Tyson Foods
Unilever
Wilmar
International

Hospitality
Accor
AirBnB
Avis Budget
Enterprise
Extended Stay
America
Hertz
Hilton
InterContinental

Lyft
Marriott
National Car
Rental
Shangri-La
Starwood Hotels
Uber
Wyndham Hotels

Insurance
AIG
Allianz
Allianz Life
Allstate
AXA
Axa US
Geico
Mapfre
MassMutual
MetLife
Nationwide

New York Life

Northwestern
Mutual
Progressive
Insurance
Prudential
Transamerica
Travelers
United Health
Group

Restaurants
Bojangles
Bonefish Grill
Burger King
Carls Jr.
Cava Grill
Chipotle
Hardees
McDonalds

Olive Garden
Panera
Popeyes
Chicken
RubyTuesday
TGI Fridays
Wendys
Yum! Brands

Retailers
Amazon
AutoNation
Best Buy
Big Lots
Bon-Ton Stores
Costco
Dillards
Dollar General
Dollar Tree
Family Dollar
Freds
Home Depot
Hudsons Bay
Ingles
JC Penney
Kohls
Krogers
Loblaw

Lowes
Macys
Metro
Nordstrom
Penske
Roundys
Sears
Sprouts Farmers
Market
Staples
Supervalu
Target
The Gap
TJX
Walmart
Weis
Whole Foods
Market

Telco & Cable

AT&T
BCE
Charter Media
Comcast
DIRECTV
Dish
Echostar
Rogers Cable 20

Shaw TV
Sprint
T-Mobile
Time Warner Cable
Turner BC
Verizon
Vodafone

Find out where you rank

in your industry!
Want to see how your content marketing
stacks up against other companies in your
industry?
Go to trackmaven.com/b2c to get a custom
benchmark of your content. Youll learn
exactly which channels and topics are
working for you and what you can do to
leapfrog your competitors.

22