Social networking continues to grow in the U.S. and now reaches four out of five active Internet users. That’s one of the stats that came out last week when Nielsen published its Social Media Report for Q3 2011. And, as the chart below shows, social networking is also the primary way we spend time online.
(click for larger version)
Some additional stats from the Nielsen report:
- 53% of active adult social media users follow a brand.
- Almost 40% of social media users access social media content on mobile phones.
- Internet users above 55 years old have doubled their mobile usage/intake of social media content in the past year.
- Social networking apps are the third-most used by smartphone owners. (Games and Weather are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.)
- 70% of active adult social network users also shop online — 12% more than the general Internet population.
You can see the report and/or download the PDF at the link above. I’ll be using the homemade chart above when I speak about social media and blogging to small business owners at the upcoming GetListed.org Local University seminar in Burley, Idaho.
September 19, 2011 - 2:31 pm
[...] Nielsen: Social Media Reaches 80% of US Internet Users, Small Business SEM [...]
September 20, 2011 - 2:36 pm
Wow, I can’t believe over 55 have doubled their use of mobile phones!
Social media has made a great new market for phones and applications.
Mark Brundage
October 1, 2011 - 6:52 am
It’s clear social media is one of the most popular and engaging of all digital media. I would not be surprised to hear these figures hit mobile phone ownership numbers in the next two years
November 4, 2011 - 5:18 am
[...] Social media reaches 80% of Internet users (media): New Nielsen numbers show that social media isn’t a fad — it’s how people spend time online. That’s a great opportunity if you can crack that nut. [...]
May 1, 2012 - 7:26 am
[...] media! You’ve already got a sense that lots of people are using social media as individuals (social media reaches 80% of Internet users according to Nielsen), to promote a business, a hobby or, in our case, a professional [...]