Social Media in the Daily Life of Web Users

Far from complete, here is a brief (but current) breakdown of social media usage. It is (obviously) ramping up in adoption and is woven intricately into the daily lives of many web users. This trend has no sign of slowing down.

• Internet users in the U.S. spend nearly a quarter of their time online using social media (or about 13 and  half minutes per every hour spent online)
• Nearly 4 out of 5 web users visit a social networking site on a monthly basis
• 73% of US companies use social media tools for marketing purposes
• From 2008 to 2012, the percentage of US companies who use social media for marketing purposes is projected to more than double (from 42% to 88%)
• Internet users worldwide spend more hours per week with social media than any other online activity
• 46% of Internet users worldwide interact with social media on a daily basis
• 15% of social media users are more inclined to buy from brands that advertise in social media
• 25% are more likely to find out more about brands that advertise on social media sites
• 18% of new content found online is found through social media
• The average U.S. worker spends 5 hours a month with social media at the office (It’s research, I swear!)

What Sources of Info Users Trust Completely on Social Media

In general, complete trust is at a premium online (and in real life, too, to be fair). People tend to trust their friends over brands, but they also tend to trust brands over independent bloggers.

• 26% trust blog posts written by people they know
• 23% trust posts by friends on Facebook
• 12% trust their friends’ Twitter streams
• 11% trust corporate blogs (We brand marketers have work to do!)
• 9% trust Facebook updates from brands or companies
• 8% trust fellow community member comments
• 8% trust brand representative comments in online communities
• 6% trust brand-run Twitter streams
• 6% trust blog posts by independent bloggers
• 5% trust independent blogger’s Twitter streams

When building trust in social media, people look at the following features to evaluate just how trustworthy a site or account is. Factors which build trust in social media:

• 64% trust social media more if the dialogue is open to both positive and negative comments
• 60% trust social media more if the author or sponsor is responsive
• 38% trust social media more based on the size of the sponsor or authors following

source: http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-statistics/