The use of social networking has increased by 21% worldwide, according to a Universal McCann Social Media study- Wave 3.This survey indicates that social media usage is up to 58%, with about 272-million users worldwide.
Universal McCann Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) surveyed 17,000 internet users in 29 countries, focusing on the evolving trends of social media. The findings are as follows:
Blogging: The blogosphere rivals any mass media in terms of reach, time spent and wider cultural, social and political impact. There are also major shifts into participation, pioneered by the Asian markets and now happening everywhere.
Brand penetration: This research indicates that MySpace is still number one among a broad collection of international networks with a 32% weekly reach. Facebook is second with a 22.5% weekly reach. However, in Asia a variety of local sites like QQ, Cyworld and Mixi dominate in home markets, while Orkut is number one in Brazil.
Things to watch in the world of social networking:
Niche Social Networks: In the face of the all encompassing mega social networks, a raft of more niche and sometimes exclusive networks are emerging.
DIY Social Networks: White label social network systems that you can customise are driving the emergence of a wealth of ultra niche networks.
Reputation Management: The survey predicts that personal brand management is going to be big in the next few years. Tools to report and manage your reputation are coming online; Wink.com or peekyou.com for personal search and reputa.com and reputationdefender.com for more sophisticated management systems.
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