The older generation questions whether social media is a fad that will soon be gone- but the younger generation knows that social media is a way of life. The world is in the middle of a social revolution, where mobile phones, social communities and the Internet are transforming the way the world works. I've gathered a list of insane social media facts regarding facebook, twitter, YouTube and other websites to help illustrate this social media revolution the world is currently facing.
It took 38 years for the radio to reach 50 million users, 13 years for TV, 4 years for the Internet- but how long did it take Facebook? FB reached 100 million users in less than 9 months. So you tell me- is this a fad or a revolution? I think the answer is pretty clear.
• Social media is the number one activity people use the Internet for. Whether its facebook, flickr, LinkedIn, twitter, or any of the numerous blogging sites out there, social networking sites are the main foundation of the social revolution currently overtaking the world.
• Over 50% of the world's population is under 30 years old. 96% of them have joined a social network. (I only wish more of them realized that what happens online, stays online.)
• If Facebook were a country, it'd be the 3rd largest in the nation! With that wild statistic it's easy to see why many businesses are taking advantage of this Facebook Nation.
• Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in America. Yes it's true; To Google's dismay, facebook appears to be winning the Google VS Facebook battle.
• The #2 largest search engine in the world is YouTube with over 100,000,000 videos! (I'm sure Google's not happy about that one either.)
• Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears have more twitter followers than the entire populations of: Sweden, Israel, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway and Panama. Still think social media marketing is a joke?
• 80% of companies use social media for recruitment- and 95% of those use LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees. Are you on LinkedIn?
• Various universities have decided to stop distributing email addresses (and sometimes even textbooks) to students, instead handing out ereaders, ipads, iphones, and other tech gadgets.
• 80% of Twitter usage is on mobile devices. People update anywhere, anytime. Can you imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?
• 96 % of the largest newspapers are experiencing record declines in circulation because we no longer search for the news; the news now finds us- online.
• It has been proven that soon we will no longer search for products and services- they will find through social media.
As you can see, social media is not just a local trend - this national transformation is shifting the world as we know it. Now, it's time for you- and your business- to keep up with that revolution. Can you handle it?
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