How Canadian Millennials engage on social media.

1. SHARETHIS CONSUMER STUDY
CANADIAN MILLENNIALS

2. SHARETHIS SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM
2 MONTHS OF DATA COLLECTION
7.8 BILLION
page views
87 MILLION
social signals
6.7 million CA users aged 18 to 34
120+ social channels
1.2 million offline purchasers 1
3.1 million sites and apps
2
METHODOLOGY
1. Purchase data was derived from a 3rd party database of 33 leading retailers selling
over 250 brands, and matched to ShareThis unique users.
There are 6.9 million people aged 18 to 34 in Canada. ShareThis sees what 95% of
them are browsing and sharing.

3. MILLENNIALS ARE HIGHLY ACTIVE, INFLUENTIAL,
CROSS-DEVICE, CHANNEL-AGNOSTIC SHARERS.
Their affinity for digital across all platforms is well-documented. The numbers,
however, don’t do it justice - because It’s not just about how much more
likely millennials are to post status updates on Facebook, but how the social
web has shaped and occupied their lives.

4. 4
MILLENNIALS ARE MORE SOCIAL
…AND MORE LIKELY TO INFLUENCE THEIR PEERS
19Average number of clickbacks
garnered by millennial shares.
35% more than average
47%Of millennials click back on content
shared by their peers.
2.0x more than average
22%Of Canadian millennials share online
content to their social networks.
3.1x more than average
4Average number of shares per
week by millennials.
1.9x more than average

5. 5
THEIR VOICE IS SPREAD ACROSS A GREATER
VARIETY OF SOCIAL CHANNELS
Canadian millennials use
Twitter twice as often as
American millennials.
But they use Pinterest and
Email half as often. 81%
6%
6%
62%
23%
6%
4%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr

6. 6
THEY SOCIALIZE MORE OFTEN ON THE GO
SHARING ACTIVITY BY DEVICE:
46%
11%
17%
20%
Millennials
Gen Pop
Smartphone Tablet Desktop

7. 7
…AND USING THEIR DEVICES IN VASTLY
DIFFERENT WAYS
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Reddit
Blogger Tumblr
60%
16%
7%
4%
5%
6%2%
DESKTOP
70%
23%
SMARTPHONE
57%
8%
16%
3%
8%
5%3%
TABLET

8. 8
TOP CATEGORIES FOR SMARTPHONE
1.1x
1.2x
0.9x
1.2x
1.2x
1.5x
0.7x
1.0x
1.1x
1.0x
0.6x
0.8x
1.4x
1.0x
0.9x
1.1x
1.0x 1.0x
0.8x 0.8x
0.8x 0.9x
0.6x
0.9x
0.7x
Smartphone Sharing vs Desktop

9. THEIR SHARING HABITS REFLECT A MORE
NUANCED SET OF INTERESTS AND DEEPER
CONNECTION WITH BRANDS.
Millennials aren’t just kids anymore. They’re earning degrees, building
families, fighting wars, applying for loans, working their second, third, fourth,
or even fifth jobs. In other words, they’re growing up. What’s interesting is
how all of this is being reflected in the kinds of content they share.

10. 10
MILLENNIALS UTILIZE THE SOCIAL WEB FOR
SERIOUS CONVERSATION
Arts & entertainment drives the lion’s share of millennials’ social activity. Compared to their elders, however, they
are far more likely to socialize content concerning business, finance, health, education, and politics:
1.0x 0.9x
1.2x
0.9x
1.2x
1.5x
0.8x
1.0x
0.8x
0.9x
0.8x 0.8x 0.7x
0.9x
1.8x 1.8x
2.1x
0.7x
1.0x
1.1x
0.9x
1.1x
1.0x
0.6x
1.3x
Millennials Index vs Gen Pop
Their most over-indexed category, however, is Online Communities, which includes blogging photo & video
sharing, and social commenting resources.

11. 11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CONVERSATIONS
Distribution of social activity by social channel
Channel Breakdown Top Conversations
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Twitter and Facebook drive A&E sharing:
Millennials use Twitter 1.4x as often to talk about
arts & entertainment. Reddit, Tumblr, and
Blogger also experience a heavy skew.
Music & Movies drive buzz:
However, millennials socialize celebrities and
events nearly twice as often as the general
population.
58%29%
3%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr
1.0x
0.9x
1.9x
0.7x
1.0x
1.6x
1.1x
1.0x
1.2x
1.0x
Movies
Music & Audio
Events & Listings
TV & Video
Visual Art & Design
Celebrities & Entertainment News
Performing Arts
Humor
Comics & Animation
Online Media

12. 12
MUSIC AND MOVIES ARE A MAJOR PORTION OF
MILLENNIALS’ SOCIAL DIET
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Movie Conversations
Here’s how their conversations compare to the rest of the web:
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Music Conversations
1.0x
0.9x
0.9x
0.9x
1.4x
1.1x
1.0x
1.1x
1.1x
1.5x
1.1x
1.2x
0.9x
0.9x
1.2x
1.3x
Musical Films
Romance Films
Bollywood & South Asian Film
Thriller, Crime & Mystery Films
Family Films
DVD & Video Shopping
Cult & Indie Films
Horror Films
Documentary Films
Movie Memorabilia
Science Fiction & Fantasy Films
Classic Films
Drama Films
Action & Adventure Films
Comedy Films
Animated Films
1.0x
1.1x
0.9x
1.3x
1.0x
1.2x
1.0x
1.1x
1.3x
1.1x
1.1x
1.0x
1.2x
1.1x
1.7x
Vocals & Show Tunes
Radio
Urban & Hip-Hop
Music Streams & Downloads
Religious Music
Jazz & Blues
Classical Music
Pop Music
Music Reference
Soundtracks
Rock Music
Music Art & Memorabilia
World Music
Experimental & Industrial Music
Music Education & Instruction

13. 13
FOOD & DRINK CONVERSATIONS
69%
16%
13%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr
Distribution of social activity by social channel
Channel Breakdown Top Conversations
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Food sharing happens on Pinterest:
Millennials use Facebook and Pinterest 1.2x and
2.7x as often, respectively, when sharing about
food.
Culinary Staples are highly social:
Millennials share about healthy ingredients like
grains, fruits, and vegetables more often than
the rest of the population.
1.4x
0.6x
1.3x
1.7x
1.2x
2.2x
0.7x
1.1x
0.2x
0.4x
0.4x
1.9x
0.5x
0.3x
Grains & Pasta
Meat & Seafood
Cooking Fats & Oils
Herbs & Spices
Condiments & Dressings
Fruits & Vegetables
Dairy & Eggs
Baked Goods
Candy & Sweets
Organic & Natural Foods
Snack Foods
Jams, Jellies & Preserves
Gourmet & Specialty Foods
Breakfast Foods

14. 14
FOOD & DRINK BRANDS

15. 15
PERSONAL CARE CONVERSATIONS
Distribution of social activity by social channel
Channel Breakdown Top Conversations
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Beauty skews toward email and Pinterest:
Millennials use Pinterest and email 2.5x and 5.4x
as often, respectively, when sharing about
personal care.
Perfumes and fragrances drive sharing:
Millennials share about perfumes and
fragrances 1.7x as often as the rest of the
population.
74%
6%
13%
5%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr
1.0x
1.7x
1.2x
1.1x
0.6x
0.3x
Face & Body Care
Perfumes & Fragrances
Skin & Nail Care
Hair Care
Hygiene & Toiletries
Make-Up & Cosmetics

16. 16
PERSONAL CARE BRANDS

17. 17
HOME & GARDEN CONVERSATIONS
Distribution of social activity by social channel
Channel Breakdown Top Conversations
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Pinterest also dominates for home goods:
Millennials use Pinterest 5x as often to share
about home and garden.
Cleaning and maintenance drive buzz:
Millennials use social media to talk about
cleaning and home care more often than the
rest of the population.
49%
23%
25%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr
1.3x
1.0x
2.8x
1.0x
1.3x
1.0x
2.0x
0.3x
4.2x
1.2x
2.6x
0.5x
Bedroom
Major Kitchen Appliances
Plumbing
Small Kitchen Appliances
Flooring
Home Furnishings
Roofing
Bathroom
House Painting & Finishing
Cookware & Diningware
Cleaning Supplies & Services
Home Appliances

18. 18
HOME & GARDEN BRANDS

19. 19
TECHNOLOGY CONVERSATIONS
Distribution of social activity by social channel
Channel Breakdown Top Conversations
Social activity by topic, indexed vs Gen. Pop.
Twitter and Reddit drive tech sharing:
Millennials use Twitter and Reddit 1.3x and 4.8x
as often, respectively, for consumer electronics
conversations.
Cameras and phones are the most social:
Millennials take to the social web to talk about
cameras and smartphones more often than the
rest of the population.
43%
28%
7%
16%
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Reddit
Blogger
Tumblr
1.6x
0.0x
1.1x
0.7x
0.9x
0.7x
0.0x
Camera & Photo
Phones
Audio
Computers
Software
TV & Video
Game Systems

20. 20
TECHNOLOGY BRANDS

21. 21
MUCH OF THEIR SOCIAL ACTIVITY
TRANSLATES TO PURCHASE ACTIVITY
Social purchase lift among millennials
Lift in purchase activity among general population
Read as: millennials who share about electronics are 2.4x more likely to purchase
products they shared about.
2.4x
2.1x
1.8x
1.7x
1.8x
1.6x
1.2x
1.5x
Electronics
Food & Drink
Household Supplies
Personal Care
SOCIAL PURCHASE LIFT

22. MILLENNIALS ARE GROWING UP,
AND SO SHOULD MARKETERS

23. 23
IMPLICATIONS
What defines this audience isn’t so much when they were born, but
the space that the social web occupies in their lives. Pay close
attention to their sharing habits and broaden your reach across
social channels and devices.
MILLENNIALS ARE HIGHLY ACTIVE, HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL,
MULTI-CHANNEL, CROSS-PLATFORM SHARERS
Millennials may be reluctant to self-identify on surveys and
questionnaires, but their sharing behaviors online reflect their
personal interests to a greater degree. Reach them via key passion
points, like business and politics, to engage with them more deeply.
THEIR DIGITAL PROFILE IS AN EXTENSION OF
THEIR PERSONAL PROFILE
Like other generations, millennials are a diverse audience. But what
separates them are the disparate ways in which different millennials
use the social web to shape their lives. Don’t throw the kitchen sink;
appeal to their life stage and background rather than their age.
MILLENNIALS ARE A MORE NUANCED DEMOGRAPHIC
THAN WE MAKE THEM OUT TO BE

24. Use social signals to determine where and when to spend media dollars
MILLENNIALS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO PURCHASE
PRODUCTS THEY SHARE ABOUT
For millennials, sharing is a more profound indication of passion. Use social
data to identify users who shared relevant content.
IDENTIFY
TARGET
Align messaging with millennials’ interests and deliver media to
contextually relevant content with which they most engage.
OPTIMIZE
Heavy-up deployment around key
events to drive conversion when
conversations are abuzz
Monitor sharing trends in real time and
capitalize on user intent as quickly as
possible throughout the purchase funnel