Change is everywhere and it happens in every single passing moment. That can certainly be said for the fluid character of the social media platforms. The nature of social media can change daily and it is imperative to keep up so that your social media marketing can take advantage of what is happening today. Research is your open window to the ever fickle and changing habits and trends of social media users that can be put to immediate use to extend your ROI.
The ever reliable Pew Research Center has taken the recent pulse of the social media jungle and has gathered some rather startling results and trends:
- Nearly 80% of adults have a Facebook page and are out on the social media platform regularly. Facebook also has twice as many followers as any of the other social media platforms anywhere in the world. Over half of the users are out at their Facebook page several times a day. Facebook is, and will remain, a key advertising target for those companies looking to drive some serious social media traffic to their sites.
- Instagram has been gaining some serious ground as it has leaped from having 13% of the world’s followers to a blistering 32% now. Again, like Facebook, 51% of Instagram users are out there several times in a day. One of the more remarkable things the recent research has found is that over 30% of Instagram users use the platform for surveillance and intelligence gathering. They are interested in what their friends are doing as well as what you, and your brand, are doing. Working your brand awareness at Instagram is always a good investment of your social media marketing dollars. The platform will continue to be one of the best visual social media platforms out there.
- Sadly, over 60% of the entire population gets their news from Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. This is a serious shift that marketers have been aware of for some time. Because of this, more and more companies have been sending out timely news pieces and press releases to ensure that their brand awareness efforts stay on track.
- Social media marketing spending is increasing every year because research proves out that connecting with the social media followers increases brand awareness as well as loyalty. Staying connected ha never been more important than it is today and the social media platforms are the places to do it.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
