What’s driving the continued growth of social media?

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MOBILE

More people are using smartphones and tablets to access social media. The personal computer is still at the center of the social networking experience, but consumers are increasingly looking to other devices to connect on social media. Time  spent on mobile apps and the mobile web account for 63 percent of the year-over-year growth in overall time spent using social media. Forty-six percent of social media users say they use their smartphone to access social media; 16 percent say they connect to social media using a tablet. With more connectivity, consumers have more freedom to use social media wherever and whenever they want.

PROLIFERATION

New social media sites continue to emerge and catch on. The number of social media networks consumers can choose from has exploded, and too many sites to count are adding social features or integration. While Facebook and Twitter continue to Apple Iphone 5 Breaks Selling Data be among the most popular social networks, Pinterest emerged as one of the breakout stars in social media for 2012, boasting the largest

year-over-year increase in both unique audience and time spent of any social network across PC, mobile web, and apps.

How is consumer usage of social media evolving?

THE GLOBAL LIVING ROOM

Social TV is on the rise. The skyrocketing adoption and use of social media among consumers is transforming TV-watching into a more immediate and shared experience. As of June 2012, more than 33 percent of Twitter users had actively tweeted about TV-related content. Some 44 percent of U.S. tablet owners and 38 percent of U.S. smartphone ownersuse their devices daily to access social media while watching television. In the Latin America region, more than 50 percent of consumers say they interact with social media while watching TV; in the Middle East / Africa region, more than 60 percent do. From global events like the Summer Olympics, to regional events like the Presidential debates in the U.S., consumers around the world used social media to engage with everyone from close friends to complete strangers, revolutionizing the television viewing experience.

SOCIAL CARE

Social Care is transforming customer service. Social media has emerged as an important channel for customer service, with nearly half of U.S. consumersreaching out directly to brands and service providers to voice their satisfaction or  complaints, or simply to ask questions. In fact, one in three social media users say they prefer to use social media rather than the phone for customer service issues.