We have been a strong believer in the use of social media to get our business message out there. In fact, we have been using social media since 2010, so would be seen as an early adopter in this space.
We believe that social media should not be used solely to push your products and services – rather it should be used as a means to educate and inform clients and customers and be a basis for the creation and maintenance of an active and engaging community.
Sensis has recently released its 2017 Social Media Report. Being Australian based, here are some interesting findings from the survey, which I have drawn from an article by Sheshtyn Paola, who writes for AJP.com.au
Nearly all (99%) of 18-29 year olds are on social media, compared to:
Among 18-29 year olds social media is often the first and last thing they do every day.
Not surprisingly, young adults are also more likely to post a selfie on social media (88%) or a picture of their food (82%).
One in three people have felt excited when their post received more likes on social media than usual. The number doubles among 18-29 year olds where six in 10 (63%) have felt this way.
And while 15% have felt anxious when unable to access their social media accounts, this number is more than doubles among 18-29 year olds (37%).
Interestingly, the older age groups have the greatest growth numbers on social media, generally being late adopters of technology. These groups have found that social media can be a great means of keeping in touch with family, friends and people with common interests.
Facebook is nearing 100% saturation, as 94% of people have reportedly used the social networking site this year.
Other social media channels are much further behind:
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook community. Just click on this link and like our page:
https://www.facebook.com/greentaylorpartners/
Most people (96%) who use social media do so in the home.
A further 43% check social media on public transport, while a third (35%) access it at work.
The most popular places to use social media are in the lounge/living room and in the bedroom, usually in the evening or first thing in the morning.
Bedroom use has shot up from 42% to 59%, and kitchen use is up from 22% to 34%.
Almost 8 in 10 people now use social media – which is 10 points higher than last year.
More than half (59%) of people access social media every day or most days, and over a third check social media over five times a day.
Men are more likely than women to use social media in most places such as at work or on public transport.
And inside the home they are more likely to use social media on the toilet (17% vs 12%) and in the bedroom (64% vs 54%).
About 45% of social media users have taken a selfie and this is more common among men than women (47% vs 43%).
Four in 10 have posted a photo of their food on social media and again, this is more common among men than women (43% vs 38%).
On average males have more friends than females on social media (522 vs 418).
Almost a quarter (24%) of people use social media to follow brands or businesses.
This is higher among women than men (27% vs 21%) and those aged 30-39 (41%).
Consumers are particularly keen on discounts (54%) and giveaways (48%) from the brands or businesses they follow.
Consumers are also increasingly accessing social media on their smartphone (up from 72% to 81%).
Almost two thirds of consumers (64%) say they are more likely to trust a brand if it interacts with consumers in a positive way on social media.
More than six in ten have watched a video on social media (61%), while the following behaviours are also common:
Around three in 10 have accepted friend requests from people they don’t know (31%), while the US election had a big impact in Australia as well, with 29% interacting with posts about Donald Trump.
In summary, social media cannot be ignored. It is now part of everyday life for the majority of people. If you are in business, can you ignore these facts?
