In today’s 2012 Social Media Report from Nielsen, one thing was clear — social media usage shows no signs of slowing down. The biggest boon to the continued growth has undoubtedly been smartphones and mobile apps. In July of 2012, users averaged 88.48 minutes, a number that jumped 58% to 121.18 minutes in July of 2012.
While the overall number of minutes spent on social media has jumped up substantially, surprisingly the number of social media users on the web actually declined. Computers are still the main method of social usage but that number has dropped. In 2011 97% of all those active on social media used traditional computers while 94% used computers for social media in 2012, a 4% decrease. The biggest detractors to the computer are the tablet (usage up 3.5x in 2012,) and smart phones (usage up 9%in 2012.) Both the mobile web and mobile apps contributed to the increases up 82% and 85% respectively.
While social usage has seen substantial gains, some of the most interesting facts in the report substantiate social marketing & advertising. Of those polled, 17% feel more connected to brand seen on social networking websites. Social ads actually spur interactions as well. Over one fourth of social users polled have liked a social ad and 15% have shared a social ad. From an ROI/conversion standpoint, social ads again perform adequately. A solid 14% of users purchased products becomes of a social ad. Actions from social ads are greatly skewed by demographics, with Asians leading the way in overall social ad adoption:
Coupons were the most purchased item from social ads (18% of respondents), followed by internet purchases (10%) and in-store purchases (8%.)
For more data, download the full Nielsen Social Media Report.
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