Over the last several years the World Wide Web has undergone a shift; largely from a one-dimensional information sharing resource to an all-inclusive, multi-faceted digital community. Today, people are more “plugged in” to the internet than ever before – and with the increasing availability of super-fast internet services, more and more people are sticking by their social tendencies and integrating them into their online activities. Think about MySpace, Blogger, Digg and Youtube and then ABC.com, CNN.com or any information-oriented online entities – people join these socially-minded networks in droves. What’s more important, though, is that these people are developing a fervent tenacity about staying in touch with their online media outlets (social networks) of choice that offer individuals some form of social interaction.
Last month, Universal McCann surveyed 17,000 internet users from all around the world inquiring about how social media is impacting today’s internet user base. Here are some of the more interesting tidbits that were uncovered:
73% of the people surveyed are reading blogs and 48% are reading consumer-generated blogs (blogs from the average Joe or Jane blogger).
Social media, particularly blogs, are becoming a bigger part of “media consumption” (news, information, stories, etc) than traditional media outlets (TV, newspaper, radio, magazine).
59% of those surveyed view at least one video clip online per week.
These excerpts are from the Universal McCannwebsite.
While there are those that refute the legitimacy of the surveyand it certainly is likely that those who responded to this survey may not represent the global internet community with complete accuracy, the premise of the study is still valid; everyday internet users as a whole are interested in socially-minded services. Even more though, again according to the Universal McCann website, their survey - “…shows no signs of a pause in the explosion of social media. Video clips, blogs, social networks and RSS are all essential components of the online media diet”. The demand and desire for socially-focused content and media is growing inasmuch as the internet is growing day by day.
What this survey means for today’s online business owners should be obvious: social media is “where it’s at” for many of today’s internet users. People are subscribing to and revisiting average Joe or Jane blogs, they’re reading and watching their news online, they’re joining online communities that discuss local happenings or subjects of common interest and people are becoming more aware of the plethora of interactive and rich-media that is available online.
Catering to the socially-minded internet user base doesn’t have to be difficult; you don’t have to try to compete with Youtube, ABC News or MySpace – you’ve just got to give your users some real content and a way to interact. It could be as simple as setting up a blog or a public forum on your website, or maybe try introducing your company to MySpace or Youtube. Irrespective of what you decide to do – there is something that you definitely don’t want to do: alienate the socially-minded crowd. While the social web may not be the all-encompassing means of website promotion and branding today, by the looks of things, it’s highly likely to be a necessary step for your website’s exposure tomorrow.
