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The internet is all
social
Sometimes the hype is right. Consumer
internet adoption across the world is now increasingly defined by
social media. Since launching in 2009, the GlobalWebIndex and the 4
waves of research that have been delivered to date, have
demonstrated substantial growth in social media adoption. The
fastest growing type of website between July 2009 and February
2011, is unsurprisingly Social Networks, with the percentage of
consumers visiting on a monthly basis rising 29% to 49%. This is
mirrored with video sharing sites (increase of 18), photo sharing
(15%) and consumer review sites (7%) In contrast static sites such
as news, portals and even search have declined in consumer visits
globally. This shows a dramatic shift from the early model of the
internet defined by siloed URLs, static content and automated
algorithms, to a model today that is defined by social technologies
and the internet users that use them.
The result is a stunning level of
consumer involvement in social media. When looking at a combination
of active participation in, blogging, Forums / BBS, microblogging,
uploading video and social networks via a PC device we can see that
in all markets at least 50% of internet users take part in one
activity on a monthly basis. In some markets such as Brazil, China
and Russia this climbs to over 80%. Even more telling is that this
percentage has grown slightly in all markets over the last 18
months, showing that social is cemented and here to stay.
Real-time taking over
from
There is a major shift taking place in
terms of the social platforms that internet users actively
contribute too. As of February 2011 the fastest growing form of
social contribution was Microblogging (not just Twitter), growing
28.4% in 18 months, with 14% of global internet users now actively
contributing on a monthly basis. This is followed by Social
Networking, which grew 20.8% and video sharing 19.9%. In contrast,
contributing to a website, only grew 6.4%, blogging 3.4% and
posting in a forum or BBS actually declined 5.8%.
In short consumer contribution via
social media platforms is increasingly in Real-Time environments,
whether that be Twitter and Facebook in the US or Sina Microblog or
RenRen in China. This has a major implication of the impact of
social media. When social technologies arrived, it was defined by
consumers creating and publishing their content. This was seen very
much as threat to the established media industry and professional
content producers, however realtime platforms do not enable content
creation and are focusing users on sharing opinions, other peoples
content or responding to or interacting with live events. As our
research shows, the top three forms of microblogging behaviour
after sharing photos or images, are linking another microblog,
linking to videos and linking to news stories.
Consequently real-time has created a
renaissance in the traditional media business, as they have the
content, live events and access to journalists, celebrities and
people in the public eye. Thanks to this trend, social media in
many ways is becoming less social.
BRIC and emerging markets lead
the way
The adoption of all mainstream social
technologies is being led by fast growing internet markets. This is
demonstrated clearly by monthly involvement in social networking,
where 76% of internet users in Philippines and Indonesia use one.
This is followed by Malaysia with 68%, Brazil and Russia with 64%
and India 63%. Compare this to the US , where 53% are active, UK
46%, France 41% and Japan just 16%.
The higher levels of adoption are
demonstrated regardless of which demographic, attitudinal outlook
or job type you compare. Users in fast growing markets are doing
more with social media. The country you are born in, is without
doubt the key factor in how you will go on to adopt and use social
media.
At the GlobalWebIndex we have spent
much time exploring the why we see this and there are a number of
clear reasons. Firstly in developed markets, people have been
online longer and their online behaviour has been defined from a
pre social age, focused on purchasing, information research and
news content. We also see far greater competition from traditional
media, where high cost fixed infrastructure of cable/satellite,
multi room TV households, or games consoles erode our need to turn
to the internet. In fast growing markets, the internet and social
media are thanks to a lack of competition from traditional media
usually the number one form of entertainment for the connected
consumer. We also see that users in fast growing markets are using
social media to achieve personal success, either through education,
their own business or through work - something that is not
universal in developed markets. Social platforms have also been
adopted as form of free expression and a chance to express
individuality, something that traditionally didn't come easily in
hierarchal societies like China, South Korea or India.
The new opportunity for
brands
The massive adoption of social media
has fundamentally changed the way that consumers want to interact
with brands and there is now a real desire to interact, converse
and be entertained by brands. When asked about what "social brand
activation" techniques are most likely to improve their opinion of
the participating brand, the number one action regardless of age
was to "listen to comments on forums/social networks", this was
followed by a "website/presence to interact with the brand
directly" and then "creating applications / online services". It is
clear the role of a brand as simply an advertiser is over and
concerns about a brands right to be active in social spaces is
misplaced. Consumers crave and value brand interaction in all
forms.
The impact of the Post PC
era
As we look forward, we can see that
social media will be revolutionised by the way that people get
online. This is already happening with the massive growth of mobile
internet adoption that has grown from 32% of internet users to 45%
of internet users on a monthly basis, in just 18 months. This is
only the start in the shift to the post PC world. In February 2011,
we asked what the favourite internet device was today and 86%
stated their personal PC / Laptop and just 1% a tablet device and
5% their mobile. However when asked what their favourite device
will be in one year, just 54% stated their PC / Laptop and a
massive 15% stated Tablet and 15% mobile. Even 8% mentioned an
internet connected television set. This demonstrates clearly the
massive demand to move to post PC devices, a shift that will again
radically transform social media. Mobiles, tablets and TVs are
dominated by applications and shift consumers from the open
platform of the browser based internet. This will focus social
involvement on content sharing not creation and re-enforce the
shifts that have been initiated by the real-time revolution.