In these tough times, where we are maintaining social distancing with others, social media is one of the leading technologies that help us stay connected with our friends and families.
With the rise of computer technologies in the 2000s and easy access to the internet in most parts of the world, we are connected in just a click away through social media. One of the most significant opportunities of a digitally connected world is the ability to have immediate conversations wherever and whenever customers want.
Apart from offering means of connection, social media is also a significant source of news and information. Here are six social media facts that will surprise you.
1. 3.8 billion active users of social media
2004 was the beginning of social media with the launch of Facebook. The total no. of social media users in 2010 stood at just below 1 billion. The world population in 2010 stood at 6.9 billion. The current total users stand at about 3.8billion, where the world population stands at 7.7billion. That said, about 50% of the world are active users on social platforms
This figure will grow more as the internet and technology are accessible to lesser developed digital markets. A higher number of users are in the age of 18-30yrs.
2. 90% of all social media user access platforms via mobile phones
With most used devices like mobile phones and tablets becoming compact and increasing the ability to perform most of our work on these devices, the popularity of handheld devices is increasing.
Social Media Platforms like Facebook are available in almost all handsets, with some of them already pre-installed. Research reveals 90% of users access via mobile phones. Also, 80% of the total time spent on social platforms occurs on mobile phones. Instagram, for example, a platform where users can share photos and videos, is best suited for mobile interface rather than a desktop interface.
This also necessitates more mobile-friendly interfaces for relatively newer platforms as we can access them anytime and anywhere.
3. The average person will spend 6 years & 8 months of their lifetime on social media
The average time spent by a user on social media stands to about 144 minutes in 2019, which is an increase of 1 hour compared to that in 2012. South America has the highest average time of 3hrs 24mins, and Europe has the least average time at 1 hrs 15 mins.
Users spend about 1hr on Facebook, 50mins on their Instagram accounts, and 30mins on YouTube. With these statistics, the average person is expected to spend about 6yrs 8mos of their lifetime on social media.
For comparison, the average person spends 26years 5mos of their lifetime sleeping, 8yrs 4 mos watching TV and 3yrs 7mos eating and drinking. Now, it is evident that these numbers are expected to change with changing lifestyles.
4. Facebook is the leader in social media
With about 2.4 billion monthly active users, 1.4 billion daily active users, Facebook reigns on the top. The next most popular platform is YouTube, with 1.5 billion monthly active users and 30 million daily active users.
Facebook is also the first social media platform to surpass 1 billion active users. India, with 260 million users, stands at the top, followed by the United States and Indonesia. This massive audience also facilitates advertising and generates about 98% of revenue through it.
5. 63% of companies using social media have found it useful in building a fanbase
Now while scrolling through Facebook and Instagram on your mobile phones, you must have seen a lot of advertisements. This is how small and medium businesses (SMBs) nowadays, market, and sell their products and services. They can easily target their customer base and build their strategies to sell products.
They also have an added advantage to see how many of the users have interacted with their content and change marketing methodologies to increase conversion rates. 57% of SMBs have found social media use, while 45% have experienced a reduction in their marketing costs.
6. You can earn about $20,000 in one Instagram post
Instagram was founded in 2011, and since then has been one of the fastest-growing social media platforms. It has about 0.8billion accounts and 0.5billion active monthly users. Due to its visual nature and high engagement rate, it is a valuable social media marketing tool.
Whether you are a freelancer, travel vlogger, or fashion blogger, you can earn by advertising various businesses’ products and services and charge them depending upon your follower size. With about 200K followers, you can expect to be paid $2000 per post. With 2M followers, you can earn up to $20,000 for a single job.
The more the numbers, the more are your earnings. Even with lesser followers, you’ll be surprised to see how many businesses want to engage with you if you have a higher engagement rate.
