As 2013 is approaching its last three months, it´s time to take a look at some of the key developments in the world of social media so far.
Overall, this has been a year that strengthened the position of social as a marketing channel. Facebook is still dominating the social world, with about half of all Internet users being active on the biggest social site.
However, one of the most notable developments this year, in my opinion, has been the rise of Google+; Google´s social network´s userbase has been expanding dramatically. What should be pointed out, though, is that a G+ account is automatically set up when someone creates a Gmail account.
Meanwhile, the fastest growing social network is Pinterest. Over the past year, Pinterest grew by 88%, followed by Tumblr, which expanded at a 74% rate. These figures reflect the appeal of visual content for users worldwide.
Another key development in 2013 has been the adoption of social media among older users. All three major social networks – Facebook, Twitter and Google+ – have seen the number of users aged between 55 and 64 at least double. LinkedIn is still the most preferred site by older users and among people with active careers.
Figures also show that Google+ enjoys the biggest number of monthly visits, averaging at 1,203 million. Facebook has the highest engagement rates, while Twitter is top choice when it comes to daily activities, Business 2 Community website reported.
What is your social media channel of choice?
By Ben Hollom