06 Dec How 2013 Social Media Stats Affect You

It is estimated that one in four people worldwide use social media in one capacity or another. This is a 18% increase from 2012. Even more exciting is the fact that social media is expected to reach 2.55 billion users by 2017. The question is no longer whether social media is here to stay, but how to use social media effectively to achieve your marketing goals. In this article you will find some of the latest social media statistics that are definitely worth the inevitable double-take you will perform after reading them.
Did you know that 189 million of Facebook’s users are “mobile only”?
Mobile, just like social media, is here to stay, and it seems like more and more people are opting for a smart phone or tablet device over their laptop or desktop. In fact, in a recent survey, 79% of respondents claimed to have their phone on or near them for all but up to 2 hours of their waking day! Furthermore, the mobile niche is incredibly popular when it comes to profits. Facebook estimates that 30% of their ad revenue comes from mobile users, a 7% increase since the end of 2012. What does this mean for you? Well, make sure your content is mobile friendly or you may miss out on a large amount of traffic.
Did you know that YouTube reaches more U.S. adults ages 18-34 than any cable network?
There was a time when magazine articles were the best location to place your ad to reach your target audience. Then radio overtook magazine as the place to be. Not too long ago, television was the best place to do a commercial to reach your audience. Unfortunately, it is incredibly expensive to run a thirty second ad. Today, YouTube is king due to its affordability and wise user base. YouTube boasts 1 billion unique monthly users and it is estimated that 6 billion hours of video are watched every month. What does this mean for you? If you are not utilizing video in your social media strategy, you may want to go back to the drawing board. A simple three to five minute video can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful campaign.
Did you know the fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-64 year old age group?
Remember when you had to help your grandma and grandpa set up their Facebook account? Well, it seems that they have learned and are teaching their friends because the 55-64 age group is steadily growing in social media usage. For Twitter, this demographic has grown 79% since 2012. For Facebook, 46%. For Google+, roughly 6%. What does this mean for you? Social media isn’t just for teenagers anymore and if you want to increase the effectiveness of your social media marketing campaigns, you will want to make sure to reach this important demographic. In other words, don’t be an ageist!
Social media is a tricky game as it is always evolving with more and more users coming into play. Mastering social media may be difficult, but by looking into the statistics behind social media, you can help increase the effectiveness of your social media campaigns. So if you’re looking to win the game of social media, don’t forget to go mobile, use YouTube, and keep the 55-64 year olds in mind.