A relatively new report, out in July 2009, from Universal McCann shows a very interesting trend. Titled Wave 4 (after three previous annual reports), this summary shows people world-wide using online social networks like Facebook and Orkut to consolidate their content creation, content sharing, and real-time communication. People are sharing more videos, photos, and news items with their friends than ever, but they’re not relying on sites like Flickr or YouTube to do so.
And that explosion of new Facebook members? Are these people who simply join and then never return?
Wave 4 says that nearly two-thirds of internet users around the globe have managed their personal profiles, and 71.1% have visited a friend’s social network page. In the U.S., 60% have managed their profiles in the last six months, up nearly 50% from 43.2% the previous year.
The authors of Wave 4 conclude that “the desire to belong to something is as motivating as the desire to communicate and express one’s self.”
What does this mean for arts marketing?
It means taking a more strategic look at how social networks like Facebook can be used to connect with your patrons. I don’t mean just creating a page and inviting people to become fans.
I mean being so incredible that being your fan is an important part of a person’s self image.
I mean allowing people to post to your wall. Uploading videos, photos, and news items that are so remarkable that your fans will want to share it with all their friends, and making it easy for them to do so.
It means paying more attention to what it means to market in real time. Will you respond to wall postings? Will your status updates be more than tiny advertisements?
More interesting stuff from Wave 4:
- 76% of social network members upload photos, up from 45% the previous year
- 33% of social network members upload videos, up from 16.9% the previous year.
- In the Philippines, more than 98% of active internet users* have watched video online; in Korea, Spain, and the U.S., the figure is more than 8 out of 10.
- The number of people reading blogs has started to stagnate, with 71% of active internet users reading blogs, up from only 70% the previous year.
- 17% of active internet users access online content through mobile devices as well as home, work, or school computers.
- 83% of active internet users view video online.
Download Wave 4 and read the whole thing.
Or play with this neat tool that breaks it all down by country.
*Universal McCann surveyed more than 22,000 active internet users in 38 countries between November 2008 and March 2009. Active internet users are defined as people who reported using the internet every day or every other day.
(Hat tip to Museum Marketing.)
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Posted by: The Daily Reviewer | September 16, 2009 at 04:44 AM