On June 1st, one of Australia’s largest marketing service company, Sensis, released its annual social media report. The report details a number of stats reflective of the continuous rise of social media and networking in Australia, while also explaining how people are using it and how businesses are benefitting.
The People
Australians are connected to social media now more than ever before. According to Sensis, nearly 70% of internet users in Australia have a social media, and of that, half of those people use social networking sites daily (and a quarter check 5 times a day). What does this mean for you?
This means that you have an audience—a constant audience. Most people are checking apps like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram when they first wake up in the morning, or in the evening, but all in all, 96% of people use social networking sites at home. This shows that social media is well integrated with comfort. While you are sitting in your lounge chair, why not also browse your Facebook feed? The whole action has become so much a part of our daily routines, especially for females under 40, who Sensis writes, have the strongest appeal to networking sites.
The Platforms
Amongst the top 5 social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, and Twitter), Facebook is still the fan favourite, leading the platforms with 95% of users. Sensis explains that people are drawn to Facebook because it provides a means of contact between family and friends. The average user has about 272 friends of Facebook, and spends on average 24 minutes.
Instagram comes in second place with 31% of users, drawing in people with its visual content, user friendliness, and security features. This platform caters mostly to the younger demographic, with 58% of its users being between 12-29 years old who spend about 24 minutes on the app on average. Again, this shows that each platform carries an audience for you to tap into.
The Businesses
In the same way that social media has increased amongst the public, it is also more present now than ever in the business sector. According to Sensis, up to 48% of small size businesses have a social media presence, increasing from 31% last year. Likewise, 79% of large business are active on media platforms, which is a leap from last year’s 56%. For businesses, following the lead of the people, Facebook is the most popular platform. When businesses use social media, they are seeking feedback and comments to engage with customers. However, Sensis finds that when people follow brands and companies, they are often seeking discounts/give-aways, product info, and exclusive offers. Brands are also more likely to build trust if they interact positively with customers on media sites and apps, and update their outlets regularly.
Unfortunately, many companies do not know how to effectively use social media yet, but this is becoming an increasingly important part of marketing and strategy sectors. While businesses are opting for internal management of their media profiles, outsourcing is also a common practice with its own advantage. If you are managing your own profile, as many do, Sensis writes that the best ways to drive traffic are to use links to another directory, promote competitions, and host events. These are great ways to increase engagement, which, through social media, can be monitored. Social media will allow you to measure your success by asking customers their opinion, however, there is also the option to use third part stats providers. Success can easily be measures via likes, followers, subscribers, conversation/engagement, and sales.
Wrap Up
The 2016 Sensis Report gives a detailed reflection of social media and social networking in Australia. With this information at your fingertips, you can easily use whatever platform to your greatest advantage because Sensis proves that there is an audience there for you. I personally look forward to seeing what’s in store for next year’s report.