Social Networking Studies in Successful Social Marketing Timing, Posts, Interaction & Reach

Social Networking has been around for years, it transformed from a place to catch up with old friends from college or find a new band to the top online marketing platform in less than 5 years.  There are several recent studies that cover a wide range of statistical data, use and success from all of the social networks.

• Facebook is still King:  As of April 2013 Facebook has had over 120 BILLION Impressions where the longer posts were less read and less interacted with than shorter ones in the 100-119 character range.  Posts with Questions drove interaction up 10-20% as the chart below illustrates (on the left you see the character length and the red is posts with Questions while blue is posts Without Questions).

• Timing is Everything - the KISSMetrics study found that the best time to post on Twitter for ReTweets is 5PM.  The best time to post on Facebook for the most Shares is 1PM.  The best number of times to Tweet on Twitter is 1-2 Tweets per hour while it is best to post an average of once every two days on Facebook.  

• A study by Bit.ly and Raka found the best time to post on Twitter for Clicks is 1-3PM while the best overall time for posts on Facebook to receive the most clicks is 3PM.  Forget about Tweeting anything important after 8PM or posting on Facebook after 3PM Friday

• A third study by Argyle Social found the best time to post on both Facebook and Twitter is 9AM-7PM.  Tweets during the Weekday have 14% more interaction than on Weekends.  The last item is the most unusual since the study found posts on Facebook have 32% more interaction on Weekends than Weekdays.  Most other studies conflict with this finding the best times to post on Facebook are during the week.  

• 70% of Consumers Trust Recommendations on Brands from Friends:
  This is # 1 reason Facebook GraphSearch engine is going to change the way companies market online.  People like to work with, go where, be with and buy from others that they know and trust.  Facebook has more information about people than any other site on the Internet thus when someone searches for a "Pizza Place' or 'Real Estate Agent' and Facebook shows them a list of pizza places friends like or real estate agents friends work with they are highly likely to use what friends did.

• The average 'Shelf Life' of Social Networking Links or Posts is only 3 Hours.  A study by Bit.ly tracked user posts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and direct on Bit.ly showing the most interaction happens within the first 60 minutes of a post.  The chart below shows the density or views/interactions on the left with the time/seconds across the bottom.  

• Women Spend 30% more time on Social Networking websites than men.  This study by ComScore is fairly well known although I would say I am the exception to the rule since I am on Social Networks 12+ hours a day!  Some social networking sites like Pinterest have a significantly higher rate of use by women over men while others like Twitter are closer to equal.  

Statistically Social Networks are THE place to market no matter what age, gender, race or location you are targeting.  Social networks constitute over 20% of the total online time worldwide with more daily users on Facebook alone than ALL search engines combined.  The key is knowing how to setup, optimize, manage and obtain the most interaction.  If you would like an expert consultation on social networking, social media marketing, search engine optimization or simply have a question Contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting  online or Call us at 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing Solutions

Social Marketing is about Interactions, Questions, Creating Buzz

Having a Facebook page or Twitter account is not enough to be successful with Social Marketing.  The search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) entered into agreements with the top Social Networking websites and classified sites (Craigslist, eBay) to place content from those sites in the search engine results.  This is why when you search for a company on Google you often find the social networking pages within the top search results (if the company has the social networking setup properly). 

To be successful with Social Marketing consider the main point of being 'Social' just like you would in any offline 'social' interaction.  When you meet a potential customer the first thing you need to do is ask questions, find out what they need, what they are interested in and then share how you can meet or exceed those needs and interests.  Any one-sided conversation online or offline tends to be ignored.  People like to know you are interested in what THEY have to say, that you care enough to find out what they need or want.

Getting users to 'Like' a page on Facebook is easy since most people will 'Like' anything a friend suggests or any product they have used or may be familiar with.  April 2012 survey results show that almost 7 in 10 Millennials who like a brand on Facebook rarely or ever return to the company page.  A February 2012 report revealed that just 1% of Facebook users who like big brands such as Procter & Gamble or Coca-Cola actually interact with those brands.

Marketers looking to boost engagement need to ask the right questions and engage social network users. By asking about personal preferences, appealing to fans’ expertise, and making it aspirational marketers can achieve a positive impact and increase social network visibility.  Instead of posting one sided 'marketing' ask users how they feel about new products, what they need, wish for and be sure to interact with others.  Spend some time adding new 'friends' from Facebook suggestions or mutual connections and be sure to look at their individual or company pages to 'Like' and comment on what they shared. 

The more marketers interact with others the more others tend to interact back.  Recriprical 'Likes' and comments provide three times the results.  The more a company 'page' or account has interaction the higher it ranks within the 'social network algarythms' which determines what posts, updates, photos and information is shared in the 'News Feed' and with Search Engines.  Someone who updates and posts information all the time but has few interactions will not been seen by anyone except the person or company publishing the information. 

Updates, photos and other details posted that have numerous 'Likes' and 'Comments' will be shared with an exponential online audience (the people who interacted with, commented or liked it plus all of the people they are connected with).  This is why Social Marketing experts and companies who specialize in social marketing are able to produce better results than internal staff or a single person trying to market on social networks.  Social Marketing companies will have multiple login's and accounts they can use to 'create' the buzz, interactions and improve reach on social networks that others cannot. 

Keep the 'Social' aspects of Social Marketing first, be sure to interact, engage and entice people to come back and invest the time to do it right.  If you need expert Social Marketing setup, optimization, training or just have a question contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995

Pinterest Now # 3 Social Network Behind Facebook & Twitter

The Experian “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report” shows social networking has 91 percent of  adults using social media regularly.   Social networking usage has changed dramatically with Pinterest taking over with the 3rd highest usage numbers ahead of Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace.  Pinterest traffic increased 50% in just January and February of 2012 with an average of 89 minutes per month spent on the website.

Facebook still dominates social networking with an average of 405 minutes spent on the website but Twitter is likely to be overtaken by Pinterest as the # 2 social network.  Pinterest has become a huge place for marketing by large and small companies worldwide due to the simple, visual appeal and ease of use.  We started setting up Pinterest accounts for our company and clients in 2011 and advocate creation of accounts for all businesses, products or services.

Contact our SEO and Social Marketing Experts for a complete Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing campaign at 816-842-7774 or online at www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com 

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting
Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Websites, Online Marketing, SEO, Social Networks, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Blogger & Success

The one question every business owner asks when we meet for a consultation is "What do I need to be doing to rank higher on Search Engines and reach more customers?".  The answer is a complicated one since there is no one thing that will lead to online success, it requires specific properly setup and optimized 'Online Building Blocks' starting with the website. 

No Online Marketing will be successful without a properly built and properly optimized website as the foundation.  The website must be readable by search engines, must contain multiple 'calls for action' to entice online suppers to submit a request, question or share information and the format of the website must be user friendly.  A website is "more than Meta Tags" today, the backend code is a requirement (still missed by many bad website companies and Template websites) but dozens of other key elements are required for online success.

This Template Website was produced by a a communications company for the customer and published without META Tags which ranked the website lower and lost the customer sales.  The customer did nothing wrong but noticed months later that old 'marketing websites' were ranking higher on search engines than the main company website.

The website IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM for online marketing success.  Make sure the website is built by someone with experience, expertise, focus (they build and market websites as the primary business - not an ad agency or public speaker or other type company that builds websites on the side to make extra money) and longevity.  There are hundreds of  unemployed people starting website, social marketing and graphics design companies.  There are more with expertise in public speaking, mortgages, ad agencies or even print marketing firms with little to no expertise with websites, Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing that now present themselves as 'website companies'.

The most capable website companies will have a minimum of 10 years experience designing, developing and marketing websites. Any company with less than 5 years experience is still 'learning' how to build a website and anyone working from home is someone to be avoided.

Once the website is built properly, optimized and submitted to Search Engines the next step is building awareness of the new website.  The top algorithm used to rank a website is how many other websites (that have value, not link farms) are linking TO a website and what content those websites have on them.  Search Engines track how many links go to websites over periods of time which brings Social Networking into play as an key role in any SEO success.

Facebook is the # 1 location on the Internet, Facebook is the # 1 source of referral links on the Internet and Facebook has more traffic from people who spend more time on Facebook than any other website or search engine.  The importance of Facebook cannot be overlooked, there are millions of potential customers on Facebook every day.  The few people who do not use Facebook can still find information from Facebook on Search Engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing since content from Facebook is fed to Search Engines.  Setting up a business profile and a business page, optimizing the page and creating a successful social media marketing campaign with regular updates, posts and interactions will help rank websites higher and potentially reach millions of people.

Facebook is like High School where popularity and interactions mean everything.  Setting up a profile ad setting up a page has no benefit unless there are multiple people connected to the page who interact, comment and share information or posts.  This is where it may be worth hiring Social Marketing Experts like www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com to create, optimize and CONNECT everything so that Facebook and Search Engines value the content ranking it higher.  At a minimum all companies need to have a Business Profile setup with a Business Page for their company, product or service.  Ideally it is worth hiring a company with teams of Social Marketing Experts to create, optimize and train you for around $350-$550 so time and efforts are not wasted.

Twitter is the text message wonder of the Internet setup with 140 character length messages with the idea that people would 'Tweet' updates from cell phones.  Twitter users are loyal and there are millions of them so setting up a Twitter account for business is a requirement.  Setup the Twitter account then link the Facebook account to it (do this in Facebook) so that updates from Facebook are automatically sent to Twitter like we have setup at www.Twitter.com/WebsiteExperts.  Connecting the accounts reduces the amount of time spent with updates and ensures everything is up to date across the online board.

Pinterest is the new top player on the Social Networking playground with a simple visual approach.  (View our article explaining Pinterest earlier this month for setup details)  When we first came across Pinterest it seemed like just another annoying social network to learn.  Once we setup the account and spent time to research what items to 'Pin' that would being value to business we started seeing increased traffic on company websites from Pinterest.  The average visit from Pinterest spent nearly 5 minutes looking through the website, 5 times longer than Facebook visitors.  Our company builds websites so the main thing we used on Pinterest was thumbnail images of websites we built with a description of the website.

We then setup another 'Board' for Social Marketing and another 'Board' for company training classes and speaking events.  We removed the default Boards that came with the account and spent time considering what would showcase what we did, who we are or what we can do for customers to create the most effective Boards for business and a few fun things.

Pinterest requires a few hours to create, setup and then locate enough content to 'Pin' so that it is effective.  Spend a few minutes connecting and 'following' other people since they tend to follow you back similar to how Twitter users follow people who follow them.  If your company sells homes then Pin photos of homes for sale or floor plans while others can Pin photos of electronics for sale or any item located on the Internet.  Pinterest is not permitted is not permitted to Pin items from Facebook but Google+ users are welcome to Pin any photo from their accounts.

Google was the 800 Pound Gorilla on the Internet for years until Facebook took the # 1 spot away.  Google tried to buy Facebook and when the offer was turned down Google decided to create it's own Social Network.  Google+ is the result at http://Plus.Google.com with a combination of features from Facebook, Twitter and a few new ideas such as 'Circles'.  The article on Google+ Setup and Optimization outlines the key features and benefits of Google+ if you are just getting started.  One unique benefit of having a Google+ account is that Google announced that websites are being ranked higher on the Google Search Engine based on usage or interactions from Google+ accounts.

When a company has a Google+ profile setup with the company website listed on Google+ and other users connected who 'Like' or '+1' the website then it will rank higher for other users on Google.  In short Google is enticing people and business to use Google+ with the added benefit of ranking higher on the Google Search Engine.  Setup a Google+ account, place contact information, website links and a profile online and spend a few minutes adding people to your circles.  It may not be the top social network yet but Google is spending millions on development so it will only get better.

Google purchased Blogspot and combined it with their other Blog system to create one of the leading online Blog systems today www.Blogger.com.  Setting up a Blog (web log = Blog for short) is free, fast and reaches millions of potential customers online.  If a Blog has enough traffic and the right content it will be republished, shared and even sold online at the Amazon Kindle Store.  A properly written Blog will also help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), establish creditability for the writers or company and provide fresh content for social networks or websites. 

Creating a Blog is about creating content about your company, services, products or solutions and related information people may be interested in.  There is no wrong way to write a Blog, simply make sure you DO it and always 'sign' the Blog with contact information including a phone number and full website address.  Write articles about your area of expertise, industry news or information and your company.  Once a Blog is setup be sure to link it to Facebook so any updates are automatically sent to the Facebook business page and even the company website similar to how Google Blogger feeds scrolling Blog articles to the Internet Builder Consulting website Home Page.

Last is the LinkedIn Social Network typically used for Business to Business connections.  There are no grandmothers sharing recipes or families uploading photo's of the weekend trip.  LinkedIn is focused on business and company or professional information although it will accept direct feeds from Twitter and Facebook which may contain any sort of content.  The LinkedIn network suggests connections based on mutual places of employment, mutual existing connections and feeds nearly everything on the LinkedIn website to Search Engines.

Setup a LinkedIn profile and then a LinkedIn company page for the best results.  Company Pages and Personal Profiles are both indexed and sent to Search Engines so people may locate you or your business on Google because you have a LinkedIn page.

The list above outlines the very basic requirements for online success today.  Take the time to setup at least the basic profiles with a description, contact information and then practice every week until you are comfortable with each of the social networks.  If your business needs a BETTER built website, Search Engine Optimization or Social Networking setup, training or Social Marketing solutions contact Internet Builder Consulting online or call the experts at 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
816-842-7774 Corporate Office
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Google+ Social Network Reaches 18 Million Users in the First Month

New statistics from Experian Hitwise shows Google+ is growing fast, thanks to a young demographic and significant traffic from other Google websites and tools.  The internet analytics firm has released its first set of data regarding Google’s new social network. Although the data only extends to July 16, it provides a detailed picture into the numbers that are driving Google+’s growth.

Below are some of the most interesting stats from Experian Hitwise’s report:

• As of July 16, Google+ is the 42nd most-visited social networking site in the US and the 638th most-visited site on the web. These numbers are amazing since the social network is invitation only at this time - Google+ will gain significantly when it opens to the public.
  
• According to Hitwise, Google+ had 1.8 million total visits last week, an increase of 283% from the previous week. Google+ has grown by a whopping 821% from the week ending on July 2, the first week Google+ was available.
  
• 56% of Google+’s upstream traffic came from other Google properties last week, with 34% of that traffic coming from Google.com. And 37% of its upstream traffic coming from search engines and the final 21% of its traffic driven by email.
  
• According to Hitwise, 57% of visits to Google+ were from males for the four weeks ending on July 16
  
• Google+ is dominated by young adults with the  25-34 age group being the largest age group with 38.37% of all visits and the 18-34 age group making up 38.11% of total visitors.
  
• Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco are the most dominant metropolitan areas driving traffic to Google+. Other locations with a higher proportion of visitors to Google+ than the general online population include Bowling Green, KY, Portland, OR and Bend, OR

 Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders teams of experts are busy helping customers setup their Google+ and other social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube and more!).  Contact us today for a consultation or have our experts setup, manage and market your company on social networks for as little as $350

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995
816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

Consumers & Online Buyers Are Tapping Into the 'F-Factor' of Social Networking

Consumers are increasingly tapping into their online social networks of friends, fans, and followers to discover, discuss and purchase goods and services, according to analysis from Trendwatching.com. The consumer trend analysis firm calls this trend the “F-Factor,” with the “F” standing for friends, fans and followers.

Social Sources Become Trusted

As a result of social networking and other online communication technologies, consumers can now use trusted sources they know to obtain information about products and brands, rather than rely on third party advertising or perform extensive first hand research.

Trendwatching.com advises that consumers have always relied on word-of-mouth advice from friends, relatives and associates, but modern technology is greatly accelerating its development as a major influence of purchase decisions.

Facebook Dominates the F-Factor

The F-Factor is currently dominated by Facebook, according to Trendwatching.com. As of April 2011 Facebook has 500 million active users spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the website and every month more than 250 million people engage with Facebook across more than 2.5 million external websites.

2010 Facebook data shows the average user clicks the “Like” button nine times each month and February 2011 Ad Age/Ipsos data shows 3/4 of Facebook users have liked a brand.

Consumers ‘F-Discover’ Best of the Best

Trendwatching.com has broken down five key ways the F-Factor influences consumer purchasing decisions. The first, ‘F-Discovery’ involves consumer desires to own or experience the best of the best and their desire for serendipity, excitement, interaction and community. People are curious and interested in what their friends and contacts think, do, eat, read, listen to, drive in, travel to and buy, because this will often be similar to how they want to think, act and buy.

Thus consumers are embracing communities, tools and apps that allow them to dive into and discover selections from friends, fans, followers, and so on.

Consumers Want ‘F-Rated’ Products

Consumers sometimes enjoy finding the best of the best through discovery; they are increasingly able to access personalized recommendations and reviews on something they know they want to purchase. Research from trendwatching.com shows more and more websites will automatically serve up friends’ recommendations, ratings and reviews next to goods and services that people are researching.

‘F-Feedback’ Makes Recommendations Personal

Anonymous reviews aren’t always what consumers need or want; they can lack relevance and context, and consumers with many options sometimes just want an unambiguous or finite opinion. F-Feedback involves consumers actively disclosing their purchasing intentions and reaching out to their friends and contacts for personalized feedback.

Trendwatching.com further advises that with more and more consumers increasingly viewing their online reputation as something to enhance as well as just protect, the quality of answers on Q&A services is rapidly improving.

F-Together Makes Shopping Social

While group buying platforms such as Groupon are revolutionizing local, consumers typically do not know the other members of the group that they are buying with. So, while consumers get to leverage the power of the web to benefit from better deals, the actual shopping experience frequently lacks the F-Factor. Consumers have strong incentives to share certain purchases, especially for F-Factor-friendly experiences such as buying event tickets where consumers can now automatically invite friends to a concert or movie right after purchasing a ticket.

F-Me Individualizes the F-Factor

Trendwatching.com refers to the trend of personalized products and services based on the activities and output of one’s social network as ‘F-Me’. This includes services that turn a user’s Facebook page into a daily newspaper and a user’s Twitter feed into a published journal.

Look for ‘Twinsumers’ and ‘Social-lites’

Both of these types of online consumers were identified by Trendwatching.com in December 2010 as critical to spreading positive word of mouth recommendations. Twinsumers are consumers with similar consumer patterns, likes and dislikes, and who are valuable sources for recommendations on what to buy and experience while ‘Sociallites’ are consumers who consistently broadcast information to a wide range of associates online.

Social Networking and the integration of social factors with websites, online marketing and eCommerce are imperative in any Internet Initiative today. Contact Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders social networking experts to build a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing solution today at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & Consulting since 1995

Use of Social Networking on Mobile Devices Grows Significantly

Social networking is among the fastest growing US mobile categories by total audience, according to a new report from comScore.   Information from “The 2010 Mobile Year in Review” indicates social networking reached 57.9 million US mobile users in December 2010, an increase of 56% from a less than 40 million users in December 2009. 
This growth rate compares favorably with the growth rates of other leading mobile categories such as classifieds (55%), mobile retail (53%) and general reference (47%). It is also worth noting that social networking had the third largest audience of leading mobile categories in December 2010, slightly behind weather and approximately 10% less than personal email, which had an audience of more than 60 million and a 39% growth rate.

The growth of social networking via mobile devices is primarily driven by Facebook which reached 90% of US social media users and 85% of European users growing more than 120% during the past year in both regions.  YouTube and Twitter hold second and third position in the US as well as Europe although European market shows much stronger growth.  In Europe YouTube grew 95% between December 2009 and December 2010 and the number of mobile Twitter users grew 195%.

Reach Social Networking users and prospective customers through expert Social Media Marketing solutions provided by Internet Builder Consulting SEO & Social Networking and our Social Marketing Builders.  Contact us online or call the corporate offices to setup a professional consultation with packages starting as low as $350.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995

816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

Brand Management…For YOU!

In the business world there is no shortage of great companies that work everyday to manage their public image: Apple, Sony, Southwest Airlines, & Whole Foods, just to name a few. While each of these companies provide either great products, great service or both, their positive public image did not happen by accident. Between positive interactions with customers, strategic events, online media and marketing, a positive image has molded around these organizations.

Why should your own public image be any different? As more and more companies depend on alternative sources of information through the hiring process, you should be concerned about the image you are portraying, intended or unintended. What message are you sending?

As an educational exercise, search for yourself using the search engine of your choice such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. For common names, you might need to place quotes around your “name” to limit your results or add a location. Look at what the results. You might find an article about you from High School where you participated in sporting events. There might be information on a blog about services you performed a local church or food bank. You might also find pictures from Spring Break where you got a little out-of-hand. There might information available through public record about an arrest or other indiscretion. How will this affect your ability to obtain a job?

There are a few things you should know. Over the last few years, the internet community has expended dramatically. In a structured agreement, Google is now working with Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites to index the items posted and list them on search engines. The more comments and “likes” you receive for a given post increases the likelihood of those items being found through a search. So, the hilarious picture of you in Cabo with your buddies is primed to receive a number of comments and likes and will be more easily found when searched. So, how do you better manage the messages you send?

First, your personal accounts on social media sites should be set to private and use a different email address than what you give to potential employers. This will help prevent some of these pesky images and inappropriate thoughts from finding their way to a potential employer or client. Search through the first few pages of Google results and determine what needs to managed out of those results.

Next, create your online, professional profile for business (see mine here). Who needs a professional profile? Anyone in business or anyone seeking employment in the future should have a professional profile setup separate from their personal profile. Just as you want to create brand awareness for your product, you want to make potential employers aware of your endeavors. Start by creating a new profile on Facebook. Tie the profile to a separate email account and find some new friends. Join up with other professional profiles of your peers, companies, and industry professionals.

Manage the message you send to potential employers by sharing items relevant to your chosen field of employment. Find articles and narratives of interest, share your thoughts on the topic and encourage others to interact on the subject. As you send out resumes, include your professional profile to encourage employers to find this information.

Your goal should be to not only prevent a negative image through online sources, but to create a positive reputation and image for your future.

Expert Social Media Marketing contact Internet Builder Consulting

Kansas City Office 816-842-7774

Article by Steve Bertasso with contributions by Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Social Media Marketing is Now More Than Links - Posts to Show in Search Results

Google and Microsoft have signed deals with Twitter and Microsoft has also signed an agreement with Facebook to integrate Twitter and Facebook updates into Bing search results. Google will be integrating tweets in search results.
Google's Marissa Mayer says, " We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months. That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you'll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information."



I expect that Google will be making a similar deal with Facebook to integrate Facebook posts in search results similar to the new deal signed with Twitter.  This means that social media marketing is more than simply adding 'link weight' to websites, Tweets and posts will be shown in real time to users on Google.com and Bing.com search engines.

Contact Builder Social Media by Builder Consulting for expert social media marketing and website solutions for your business.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com - Building Better Websites and Social Media Marketing Solutions
913-814-8844

Almost 20 Percent of Internet Users Update Status on Other Social Networking Sites With Twitter according to PEW Research

Already widely reported from yesterday the Pew Internet & American Life almost 20 percent of US Internet users are on Twitter or updating their status with another social network: LinkedIn, MySpace or Facebook. According to the report:

Some 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others. This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11% of internet users said they use a status-update service.

Three groups of internet users are mainly responsible for driving the growth of this activity: social network website users, those who connect to the internet via mobile devices, and younger internet users: those under age 44.

Below is the chart showing Pew’s demographic breakdown:

According to the report, parsing by network:

The median age of a Twitter user is 31, which has remained stable over the past year. The median age for MySpace is now 26, down from 27 in May 2008, and the median age for LinkedIn is now 39, down from 40. Facebook, however, is graying a bit: the median age for this social network site is now 33, up from 26 in May 2008.
The Pew report paints a slightly different and younger picture of Twitter users than earlier studies:

Another age distribution report from PEW:

Contact Builder Social Media by Builder Consulting for all your Social Media Marketing needs at 913-814-8844.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Builder Consulting - Building Better Websites & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Twitter Statistics and Growth Rate

Millions of people are using Twitter daily though the top social media website has a large 'drop rate' above all other social media marketing. The latest Twitter Statistics available from May 2009 show the following information:

* 60% Abandonment Rate

There was some recent news about Twitter having a whopping 60% abandonment rate. This means that for every 5 people using twitter, 3 people decide not to continue using it. This makes sense as Twitter perks curiosity but not many people can maintain or want to maintain a continual feed of “tweets”. This is the same reason there are millions of blogs that are never updated.

* 17 Million Unique US Visitors in April

However despite a large abandonment rate, ComScore released Twitter Statistics for April and it showed Twitter reaching 17 million unique visitors in the United States. That is a whopping 83 percent increase from March! In March 2009 Twitter had already doubled it’s user base from the month before.

Twitter going Mainstream: Broad Uses

Twitter is gaining popularity not only for personal uses but for businesses. Businesses use Twitter as a way of keeping their loyal users in touch with what is going on with a particular product or service. It is a tool to humanize the corporation and to build a community. Celebrities and other prominent figures use twitter to speak to their fans or supporters.

Tweets are frequently used to do quick news updates during large conferences or events. People can follow the play-by-play commentary just as they were listening to the radio. TV shows like Nightline has used twitter as a way for users to give immediate feedback during their shows. It also allows people to keep in tabs with what is going on with their friends, family or the unlucky people they are stalking.

Recently the public received the first twitter tweets from outer space:

I’m going to put my spacesuit on, next stop: Earth Orbit!!

From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!

------------------------------------

* Visitors Spend 7.9 Minutes a Day on Twitter
* Twice as much time is spent on Twitter today over December 2007
* Pagesviews: 428 Million in April 2009 (219 Million in March 2009)

A comical explanation of Twitter and it's use may be found through YouTube...



Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com
BuilderSocialMedia.com
913-814-8844 Office