In any given week I review various statistics focused on social media usage, trying to better understand how quickly people are adopting these tools into their everyday lives. The reality is that adoption in the United States continues to increase, as it does in many other areas of the world. Cultural norms, access to technology and governmental legislative efforts will mean varying degrees of worldwide adoption, so always take those variables into account as you review statistics in an effort to understand how well they represent the markets you are in.
According to Nielsen, 17 percent of time spent on the Internet in August 2009 was devoted to social networking and blog sites, This is up from 6 percent the previous year.
According to eConsultancy:
- Customers who experience problems when shopping online are talking about it on social media sites; 13 percent in 2009 compared with 8 percent in 2008.
- Of the respondents, 51 percent said that social media has influenced their online transactions, 75 percent said their choice of retailer was influenced by what they read on social media sites, while 56 percent avoided a particular company after reading a bad review.
Interesting stats, yes, but why should you care?
Customers are spending more time on social networking sites and becoming more comfortable letting their voice be heard, both in regard to positive and negative experiences that they are having in their daily lives.
The influence of this broader sharing is having an impact on the decision-making of other social users. I would go far as to say, based upon other studies, it has the strongest impact on other social users, much more impact than any marketing efforts you are deploying.
Some companies get it while others are still lost in the woods, and the only response is crickets. What kind of company are you going to be?