6 Compelling Social Media Stats Marketers Should Know [Data]

This week, the media research firm Nielsen released its Q3 report on the state of social media. Unsurprisingly, social network usage is up, and the findings showed that nearly 80% of US internet users spend time on blogs and sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Here were 6 of the most interesting facts from the report and what each means for marketers as they look ahead to Q4.

1. 37% of consumers access their social media networks through their phone.

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As a marketer, this means that any landing pages, blog posts, or ebooks you link to on Facebook or Twitter accounts should be optimized for mobile devices. It could mean the difference between a new lead and a lost opportunity.

2. During May 2011, over 31 million people in the U.S. watched video content on social networks and blogs.

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Providing a rich media experience for your company can increase engagement on your website. Video content is a great way to bolster your inbound marketing efforts.

3. Tumblr nearly tripled its unique US audience over the last year.

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As a marketer, it’s important to keep your eyes open to new online tools and forms of media and determine if you can use them to deliver your message. In May alone, Tumblr generated over 21,000 messages and links a day to the site. The amount of traffic you could leverage from a new medium like Tumblr should never be overlooked.

4. 56% of mobile users most value the GPS capabilities of their smartphone.

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In today’s world, geo-marketing is a powerful opportunity that both small and medium-sized businesses can leverage. Leveraging location-based applications and social media platforms can be a great way to engage with and capture a mobile audience of prospects.

5. 53% of active social networkers follow a brand.

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As a marketer, it’s important to engage with your users in social media, and make sure you’re providing them with valuable content. These active social networkers don’t just follow brands. According to the report, they’re also 60% more likely to write reviews about brands' products or services as well.

6. In May, internet users spent more time on Facebook than Yahoo, Google, AOL, and MSN combined.

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With 53.5 billion minutes spent on Facebook, the site continues to prove the value of being “Liked.” While Google and other search engine rankings are extremely crucial for a company to get found, Facebook and other social media sites are also as important for companies to engage with their customers as well as prospects who can potentially be converted into sales.

have you come across any other interesting facts from the report you think marketers should be aware of? Let us know!