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Trends In Social Media Use

A recent report indicates that more people spend their time online on social media sites than any other type of site, meaning that it has definitely become a mainstream and accepted thing to do.

Those on a personal computer spent around 20 percent of their online time on a social media site of some type, while those using a tablet, smart phone or similar device to access the Internet spent about 30 percent of their online time on one or more sites. The survey was carried out by Nielsen and NM Incite.

For many of us, social media sites have become an important part of our lives and an indispensable way of keeping in touch, although at one time it seems as though these sites were only used for sharing irrelevant information.

The increase in the number of social media sites, as well as the increased ease of access through a tablet or smart phone, are largely responsible for the increased use.

In the US, the most visited site during online time is Facebook, followed by Google's Blogger and then Twitter. However, the site that experienced the most growth was Pinterest, with growth of more than 1,000 percent.

Over 33 percent of Twitter users tweeted about TV shows or related subjects as of June 2012, making so called social TV a growing trend. Another trend is the increasing use of these platforms to report and resolve customer service issues, with around 30 percent of users preferring to use social media rather than use the phone, a trend known as social care.

Consumers now have a powerful and effective platform for complaints, it seems even if product failures are really the fault of the consumers rather than the company. There are more details on this in this story by Randy Shore of the Vancouver Sun.