7 Interesting Facts About Social Media

In this day and age, it is possible to think we know just about everything we need to know about social media.  However, with the changing dynamics and new advances being reached everyday, it is nearly impossible to know everything about it.  It is critical for businesses, as well as users, to stay on top of the latest developments of social media in order to interconnect it into everyday use and marketing strategies.  

1. Infographics Are An Effective Tool in Social Media Strategies

People by nature are incredibly visual creatures and desire a painted picture to effectively understand information.  According to an article on effective infographs in the Search Engine Journal, inforgraphs have gained tremendous momentum in the past half-decade due to its ability to quickly and alluringly attract attention and deliver information effectively to users on various social media interfaces, most popularly Pinterest, Facebook & Twitter.  

2. Women Spend More Time on Social Media than Men

It is no secret that women and men exercise different behaviors.  Consequently, comScore, an IT company specializing in digital business analytics, has found that women spend an average of 30% more time on social media per month than their male counterparts.   Women tend to utilize social media for social communications and social outreach such as instant messaging, emailing, and social networking.

3. Social Media Can Lead to Anxiety

In 2012, a study released by U.K.’s Salford Business School found that in a survey of social media users including users of networks like Facebook and Twitter, found that a majority, 51% of social media users, felt social media has not made a positive impact on their lives, while 60% of users felt they need to “switch off” of social media platforms.   The study also reported that individuals who were predisposed to social anxiety felt even more overwhelmed and insecure after using social media platforms.  

4. Instagram is Most Popular in Urban Cities

The hustle and bustle of the estimated 5 million Instagram photos upload to the social site each day mirrors the lives of its daily users.  According to the Internet & American Life Project Post-Election Survey conducted by the Pew’s Research Center in December 2012, found that of the current 13% Instagram online user base, the majority of users, 17%, reside in urban cities.  

5. “Vining,” is a Rapidly Growing Social Video Trend

Vine, the Twitter owned instant video app, only recently began gaining traction in 2013, but the revolutionary tool is changing the way videos are made and shared online. The app allows for 6-8 second videos to be create and shared, compressing important information and data to fit more suitably along with the average human attention span.  

6. The Best Times To Tweet Is 12PM, 5PM, & 6PM

There is never a right time to tweet. Important moment’s in life and history occur all around the world 24/7.  Twitter’s dynamic platform allows users to keep one another in the loop with real-time posts and up to the minute updates.  However, marketers have discovered that in order to create an effective social media marketing strategy, the best times to post tweets on Twitter are high noon as well as between 5pm & 6pm.  According to the blog site Buffer, this is highly due to users downtime during their highly busy work day.  Therefore, 12PM, 5PM, & 6PM are the best times to post your B2B & B2C tweets.  .  

7. Social Media is the Now the Primary Web Pastime

Social media has surpassed online adult entertainment content as the primary online pastime for adult online users.  With the creation of dozens of interactive social media websites, it has become the number one form of online recreational activities for adult users.  

By SLAJANNA JEAN