According to the Nielsen’s 2012 Social Media Report, social media usage is increasing, and mobile devices and tablets are helping to fuel that growth. In July of last year, users averaged 88.48 minutes per month, a number that increased to 121.18 minutes in July of 2012. Usage of mobile web and mobile apps for social media were up 82% and 85% respectively.
Social Media advertising is also beginning to establish a foothold in the social media space. Of those social media users questioned, 17% feel more connected to a brand seen on social networking websites. Over 25% of social media users have liked social ads and 15% have shared social ads. 18 % of those asked purchased from social ads, 10% made internet purchases and 8% made in-store purchases
Bottom Line: Social Media continues to grow in usage, but interestingly, the study showed that fewer actual users are utilizing social sites. The penetration that these mediums have made into our society will continue to grow with the use and improvement of mobile devices. For business marketers, consider beginning to experiment with Facebook Ads, Ads on Linked In and other social platforms to perfect working within the space.
Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, A Santa Rosa, California based Social Media Marketing and Optimization, SEO and Website Development Firm.