Did you know that the largest growing demographic in social media is the “34- to 49 years of age? Women aged 55 and older are the largest growing group among bloggers. According to a recent study completed by Nielsen's Social Media and Blogging is now the fourth most popular activity on the internet. The reason this is happening is because Social Media is less about technology than it is about a new way to create and build relationships. Technology tends to be a barrier for a lot of people, but the reality is that if you can send an email you can be part of the Social Media phenomenon. How many times have you had a great story that you wanted to share? Social media has created instant publishing and consumption for stories. For example, I was traveling a major road on my way to an appointment and listening to the radio for the latest news, traffic, etc. when I received a traffic alert from a friend via Twitter. This allowed me to alter my course and stay on time for my appointment. The entire time the local radio station never mentioned this complete road closure. Everyone has been caught in unexpected traffic from time to time, which caused you to be late, right? The person you are meeting with will say they understand, but do they really?
People are investing a lot more time on the internet these days. According to Nielsen's people are averaging 3 hours 10 minutes per person on Facebook alone. That is up 566% from the same time last year. [ I am not certain that I spend that much time on Facebook, but I can tell you that I find myself investing more time on Facebook and less time watching TV. Could Social Media replace traditional forms of media like TV? My behavior has been changed. Interacting with friends and family members is always better than the TV. I have reconnected with friends from elementary school to college and it is like we never missed a beat. When it comes to social media you can be as engaged as you want to be and it is at no cost. Business-minded folks have said for years "that you can't make money by watching TV reruns." Professionally, I have made great connections with past colleagues and I have been introduced to some of my best new customers by using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Web 2.0 is changing our lives by building and rekindling relationships. This is just the beginning...
Source:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/nielsen_globalfaces_mar09.pdf
