A majority of Americans use social media, including 86% of 18-29 year olds, 61% of 30-49 year olds, 47% of 50-64 year olds, and 26% of those aged 65 and older, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Social media users (79%) feel most connected to their close friends via such sites, including 23% who feel very connected to this group online. Nearly three quarters (74%) feel connected to their immediate family via social media, 70% to extended family, 70% to friends of friends and acquaintances, 63% to former classmates, and 40% to business associates.
Although social media users feel most connected to their close friends and family online, they prefer to interact with them face-to-face. They feel less connected with acquaintances online, but are equally split on their preference for communicating with them online versus in person (see chart). Those aged 18-34 (57%) are more likely than average to prefer communicating with acquaintances in this manner.
More social media users agree (53%) than disagree (31%) that they prefer to listen to what others have to say than to offer their own opinions. Six in 10 (60%) value the opinions others share in the social media space. More users agree (41%) than disagree (34%) that they feel important when they give feedback about brands, products, and services on social media sites. Those aged 18-34 are more likely than average to value the opinions others share on social nets (68%) and to feel important when sharing their own opinions on brands, products, and services (47%).
The vast majority of Americans (86%) have interacted with a company or brand online; 38% use social networks to do so, 16% use message boards, and 13% use blogs, according to Cone Inc. That is compared to 63% who interact with companies and brands via websites and 62% who do so via email.
Social media users follow an average of five companies or brands on Facebook and Twitter. A third (33%) don’t follow any, where as 8% follow 10 or more.
The most common reason consumers are enticed to follow a company or brand via social media is to access incentives, such as coupons, discounts, and free products and services (77%). Nearly half of online Americans (48%) look for such incentives in the social media space, compared with 20% who look for them on their mobile devices, 20% via message boards, and 13% on blogs.
Companies stand to gain by engaging with social media users:
• 63% of users say they are more aware of companies and brands they interact with via new media;
• 62% are more likely to share information about a company or brand they interact with via new media;
• 61% feel a stronger connection to the companies and brands they interact with via new media; and
• 59% are more likely to make a purchase from a company or brand that they interact with via new media.
Although consumers are eager to follow companies and brands on social networks, there are a variety of reasons they would stop doing so, including:
• If the company or brand acted irresponsibly toward them or other consumers (58%);
• If it over-communicates by putting out too many messages or sending spam (58%);
• If the content it provides is not relevant to the consumer (53%);
• If the company or brand does not communicate or engage them enough (36%); or
• If it censors content posted by them or other consumers (28%).
A relatively new aspect of social media is geosocial services — such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places — which allow users to check in online at a physical location and see who else is there and, in some cases, access special offers.
On a typical day, 1% of Internet users access geosocial services, and 4% of online Americans have ever used such a service, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project. Men (6%), Hispanics (10%), and 18-29 year olds (8%) are more likely than average to use such services. In addition, those who use status updating services, such as Twitter, are more likely than average to use geosocial services (10% vs. 4%).
Sources: “2010 Consumer New Media Study,” Cone Inc., Carol Cone, 855 Boyleston St., Boston, MA 02116; 617-227-2111; ccone@coneinc.com; www.coneinc.com. Price: Call for information.
“Thanks To Social Networks, Americans Feel More Connected,” Harris Interactive, Alyssa Hall, 161 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10013; 212-539-9749; ahall@harrisinteractive.com; www.harrisinteractive.com. Price: Available online at no charge.
“Location Based Services,” Pew Internet & American Life Project, Aaron Smith, Sr. Research Specialist, 1615 L St. NW, #700, Washington, DC 20036; 202-419-4500; asmith@pewinternet.org. Price: Available online at no charge.
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