Originally posted on The Steve Rubel Stream.
Experian Simmons is out with a new package of stats that document the incredible growth of social networking in the US. (Experian is an Edelman client.) Here are some of the notable highlights…
First, some 66% of online Americans use social networking sites today, up from just 20% in 2007. This has been covered a lot before. However, what’s notable is that it’s an increasingly additive activity – 43% visit multiple times each day.
Second, social networking is largely synonymous with Facebook. This doesn’t bode well for others that are positioning themselves as a social network since it could confuse consumers. (Since it does not require mutual friending, Twitter to me really isn’t a social network but a continuous public communications channel.)
Third, social networking is largely viewed as a way to connect with friends, not co-workers or business partners. This may show that people are splitting up their personal/professional networks. This was something LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner and I recently discussed and it flies in the face of edge cases like me who have co-mingled the two. (LinkedIn is an Edelman client.)
Last but not least, social networking appears to be more predominant in the western and mountain states, even more than in the east.
Tags: client, data, Experian Simmons, facebook, linkedin, research, social networking, social networks, study, twitter
