Social media is evolving…are you?

Social media keeps on moving at a dizzying pace. What with network launches, regular M&A activity and a constant stream of new tools and apps, at least one thing remains constant – people are still flocking online to communicate, connect and engage.

For marketers this means it is more important than ever to make social a serious slice of the marketing pie. Over at Clickz.com we found a useful crop of recent research findings, which we summarise here along with their impact for marketers.

Social media is where we’re at

Blogs and social media now account for more than one out of every five minutes spent online. Looking at another way – four out of five active internet users have visited a social network or blog. For marketers, it is screamingly obvious that it will no longer suffice to pay lip service to social media. You absolutely need to be there to reach your audience.

The rise of the silver surfer

Don’t assume that you can’t reach a more mature market online. Usage among the older demographic has soared between 2005 and 2011 (from 7% to 51% amongst those aged 50-64, and from 6% to 33% for the over 65s, according to Pew Research Centre).

Facebook and beyond

Yes, Facebook does still dominate time spent online (users spent 53.5 billion minutes there in May 2011, according to Nielsen), but this shouldn’t mean excluding other important networks from a social media strategy. YouTube, for instance, is the second largest search engine, racking up 9.1 billion minutes during May 2011. If a Facebook page alone isn’t proving effective for your business, examine your strategies and assess where all your customers are – not just the Facebookers.

It pays to go mobile

Your target audience is on on the move, with two out of five social media users now accessing their accounts via mobile devices (source: Nielsen). If you want to be found by your prospects and customers, it’s time to think beyond the computer screen to mobile devices including gaming consoles, tablets and e-readers.

Blogs mean business

More than ever, consumers are turning to social media for help with purchase decisions. Be aware that they are looking for positive and negative comments, along with product information and reviews. Interestingly, the biggest growth area for purchase decision information is blogs (source: Cone Inc), yet a relatively small 40% of companies actually have a business blog in place to support their social media marketing efforts. Keep an eye out for the currently underrated Tumblr. This microblogging platform is on the rise (use has tripled over the past year according to comScore) and deserves marketers’ attention.