Social Media Facts and Trends
Social media facts and trends for marketing supported by user statistics are now influencing
marketing strategies and tactics. Companies have already started to bypass the more traditional
mass media products of radio campaigns, TV ads and press promotions in favour of driving
awareness on the social networks.
Listed below are some social media facts, trends and social media statistics to help inform how
or where a business might focus their social media strategy.
Remember that today, social media is allot more than just likes, followers or branding. It is a
complete publishing and sales channel with the ability to tap into large volumes of data together
with a reach that stretches into the millions of buyers.
Build a social network channel now
This is not a trend, this is a must do. Any business who is resourcing and building their social
media channels (populating them with audiences) are creating an online publishing platform with
built in marketing channels and a content marketing distribution network that works 24/7.
Company leadership should view these social media networks as valuable digital assets that will
grow each year. Done correctly, social media networks will give any business huge leverage in
winning over customers and a connected marketing channel which works nonstop.
So without further ado, let us take a look at statistics for the major social media networks.
Statistics on Social Media Demographics
The social media networks are a whole universe of conversations, tweets, like, followers, profiles,
content, data and interests. Social data tells us they are no longer just used by the young and the
nerds. Social media interaction is a truly global activity, embraced daily by people of all ages and
in every corner of the web.
Social media trends and statistics
72% of all internet users are now active on social media
18-29 year olds have an 89% social media usage
30-49 age groups has now over 72% usage
Over 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media
Even in the 65 plus age bracket, 43% are using social media
84% of C-level/vice president executives use social media to support purchase decisions
Nearly one in three consumers are influenced by social media in their purchases
87% of consumers are influenced by reviews read on social media
71% of users access social media from a mobile device
Twitter has over half a billion users
Facebook has over 1 billion users
LinkedIn has nearly a quarter of a billion users
Google+ has more than 2.5 billion users but only 10% are active

The myth that social media is the playground of the young has been debunked. Buyers,
consumers, shoppers, sellers, seekers, businesses and organisations are all to be found in the
social media universe. The age barrier is no longer relevant except for demographic targeting
“Facebook is still the biggest social media network. But Google+ and Twitter are serious
contenders for audiences”.
Marketing and Business Love Social Media
93% of marketing departments use social media for branding/business
70% of brands have a presence on Google+
Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are the top 3 sites used by marketing
Here are some other social media statistics and infographics to mull over.

Every business that wants to engage deeper with target audiences should be increasingly aware
of the global march towards a near total digital age, one which rewrites the rules on how brands
engage with buyers.
These social media statistics with researched data makes it even more evident that the only way
forward to engaging consumers and buyers is through social media communications.
Understanding the global social media landscape is not just some useful information; it is
valuable insights and data that must be central to any business strategy.
Social Media Trends – Forecast
Social media is “in-the-moment” updates will grow rapidly. Real time sharing of video and
content is going to get faster and better
Buy Buttons. Major social media brands will feature some kind of buy button as an element of
their online advertising campaigns
In-app features will spread giving marketers ever more opportunities to engage with their
audiences
New content marketing or publication channels will evolve on existing social networks
User privacy and the use of social data concerns will grow
Internet Users now totals 3.175 Billion, that’s nearly half of the world’s population (7.357
Billion).
Mobile is the future. Nearly 2 Billion users utilise their mobiles for Social Media
Social media searches within social platforms will become more powerful
Video will grow. Videos average 62% more engagement than photos. Live video streaming is
set to explode
Smart advertising is on the up. Big data will allow brands to target specific buyer intent or
triggers
Content specific to each social media channel will evolve
The rise of influencer marketing spend within user generated content will become visible.

So there you have some social media trends and statistics. How relevant they will be in 6 or 12
months (or by the time you have read this article) is anyone’s guess. The important thing is to
keep on top on what is happening on the social networks and don’t chase every social media
fad that comes along.