Facebook: The Reigning, Defending, Undisputed Champion

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Far too often we all hear survey results in the media about issues we don't care about, but every once in awhile we learn about surveys that are really interesting and provide a lot of value.  Luckily, I recently came across one of those studies.

 

It was on social media use in Canada and it specifically asked about social media sites people were on and how often they were on them. It was done by the Ryerson University Social Media Lab. Ryerson is a university in downtown Toronto.

The survey showed Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in Canada (no surprise there), but other information in it was quite revealing, especially if you use social as a way to gain new business.

The Survey Says....

The survey was called The State of Social Media in Canada 2017. 1,500 Canadians were interviewed last June and July for the survey, so it’s a huge sample size to help make the findings legit.

I liked the way the survey only dealt with Canadians who are online. There are still enough people who don’t have a computer, or internet to make a difference when talking about social media use. This study only focused on those on the internet, making the results more accurate.

94% of Canadians who are online are signed up for at least one social media account and of course, many are on more than one. It’s a big number. My first takeaway from the survey is, if you’re on the internet, you’re on social media.

No surprise here, but Facebook is the clear winner in this popularity contest.  Here’s what Ryerson’s Social Media Lab says the numbers look like for online Canadians.

Those Numbers Don't Tell the Full Story

The Facebook number of 84% is consistent with other studies I’ve seen when those who aren’t online are factored in,

I was slightly surprised to see YouTube a solid second. I know it’s wildly popular, but didn’t expect to see almost six in every ten people with a YouTube account. There’s a difference between just playing videos on YouTube and having an account.

LinkedIn and Twitter were about where I expected them to be, but I thought Instagram would fare better. It seems to be the hottest social media platform over the past year.

Those numbers only tell part of the story. Frequency is the other big issue when it comes to social media use. How often do people go to social media sites? We all know people who have a Facebook account, as an example, but are hardly ever on it. 

Once again Facebook rules the roost with 79% of its users checking Facebook on a daily basis. Instagram shines in this category. 61% of users are checking it each day, while Snapchat and Reddit were just behind in daily use.

I note that LinkedIn fared poorly in daily use with only 20% of users checking it on a daily basis. A lot of people in business want a LinkedIn account and post their resume-type information but don’t work to grow their following.

Notes on the Numbers

There are some other interesting notes from the study:

• 75% of Canadians over the age of 55 are on Facebook
• Roughly half of Facebook users visit it several times a day
• 90% of 18-24 year olds use YouTube
• Higher percentages of women are on Instagram and Pinterest
• 25-64 year olds on LinkedIn are higher educated
• Canadians in the highest income group are more likely to have an account on LinkedIn, followed by Twitter
• Although only 9% of those online are on Reddit, 57% of them visit the site at least once a day.

Using Content to Market Yourself in Social Media

What the survey does show is the choice we have when it comes to social media. If we don’t like what we get from one site we have lots of other choices. Similar surveys have shown how people spend time on several sites. I’m usually on four social media sites every day and some days I’m on five.

More companies need to understand the need to effectively use social media as a way to share self-produced content like blogs and videos to show their expertise in whatever product or service they deliver. It takes time, but it’s relatively inexpensive and may be the best way to get recognized.

I do a keynote presentation on ways for companies to use social media to attract new customers. I did the presentation in Vancouver two weeks ago and will do it again in Edmonton this Friday. I’ve learned how to use social media to market my business and now am showing others how they can do the same.

If you would like to get more information, just let me know. Remember this – sharing content on social media can set you apart from your competition and it can pay off handsomely if done right.

Graphic from: Ryerson University Social Media Lab