Use Tweeter? A member of Facebook or MySpace? If not, you probably think you’re one of the last few people left who aren’t. Given the persistent buzz about social networking, you’d think that everybody is using social networks.
Turns out it’s just more new-media hype.
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story with the headline A Fifth of Internet Users Now Share Status Updates. It reports on the findings of the latest Pew Internet & Amercian Life Project on Twitter and social networking. Follow this link to the full report.
If a fifth of Internet users are using social networks, that means four out of five Internet users are not using social networks. It makes you wonder what the buzz is all about when four out of five people don’t do it, but the real numbers are even worse.
The 19% is the percentage of Internet users who have ever used these social networks. Ever!
It turns out that only 9% of Internet users used one of the social networks the day before they were asked. Since the purpose of a social network is for friends to regularly keep in touch with each other, it only works if used regularly. So to assess the real impact of social networking, the “day before” number is more interesting.
That means a more accurate estimate of social network usage is probably just one in ten Internet users. But it’s even worse than that. Pew found that 28% of Americans don’t use the Internet, so when you factor that in, it means only 7% of American adults 18+ are actively using social networking.
That means 93% of Americans don’t actively use social networks.
The next time you’re reading a blog or radio trade beating up radio about its slow integration of social networking, remember this number.
We believe radio stations should tweet and be on Facebook and MySpace. These are valuable means to connect with listeners, but keep social networking in perspective. It appeals to a small, socially active minority of listeners.
Social networking is higher in younger demos, but it isn’t as prevalent as the pundits would lead you to believe. Usage among 18-29 listeners is double the 18+ number, but social networking is still an activity used by a minority of even young listeners.
Even if you’re a CHR station remember that social networking is like the request line and texting. There is a small group of extremely active listeners that use each to communicate with the station. The majority of listeners don’t.
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