Wondering what is working in social media right now? TopRankBlog.com recently collected statistics from various sources about social media outlets, judging the effectiveness of each. The article gives quick and dirty statistics that cover current trends and what users are utilizing each outlet for.
Some interesting statistics about social media:
“28% of time spent online is social networking.” Global Web Index
The average online user is clocking 1.72 hours of time spent online on social media sites.
“Social Media is the least popular channel for customer service.” Marketing Land
Customers are turning to social media less for complaints. This doesn’t mean customers aren’t complaining online, instead they are likely utilizing review sites like Yelp.com for providing feedback.
“Social media makes up nearly a third of all referral traffic.” Search Engine Journal
Social media takes the lead over search engine referrals, increasing 22.71% in the last year.
“Fewer than half trust social media for news.” Social Times
Social media has become a popular outlet for daily news, but less than half consider Facebook and Twitter a reliable news source.
People are still spending a good chunk of their time online browsing social media sites. Top Rank Blog takes a look at what specific sites are excelling in.
Facebook continues to lead the social media world with 1.39 billion users, half a billion mobile-only users, and remains the leader for social referrals in December over Twitter and Pinterest. Socialttimes, Search Engine Journal
Twitter is still bigger than Instagram with 284 million active users. Social Times
LinkedIn’s advertising sales have increased with $153 million in revenue sold in the fourth quarter, a 56% increase over the same time the year prior. Ad Age
Pinterest is focusing its efforts towards advertising in the U.S. by pushing promoted pins into users’ home feeds and expanding their data tool, ultimately providing better target options for advertisers. Clickz, Marketing Land
What does this mean for online advertisers?
Facebook leads the pack with users and shines when it comes to referrals. Maintaining active on Facebook can lead to online business and sales. Twitter comes in second for active users and remains a good sharing and networking tool. LinkedIn’s professional networking and credibility makes advertising more desirable for companies. Pinterest is starting to make a name for themselves when it comes to reaching target markets by creating a more user friendly filter for online marketers.
