Mind blowing stats about Social Media and Networking

[Harold Mansfield]

This article is a few months old, but I am sure the numbers have just increased since it was written. Some of the stats are so staggering that they are almost difficult to process.

A quick excerpt:

Facebook currently has in excess of 350 million active users on global basis. Six months ago, this was 250m… meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year.
20+ mind-blowing social media statistics revisited | Econsultancy (http://econsultancy.com/blog/5324-20+-mind-blowing-social-media-statistics-revisited)

[vangogh]

Staggering is a good word. None of it's surprising to me, but I am plugged into this stuff. It really shows that social networking in general isn't going anywhere and if your customers are spending their time on one or more particular sites it makes a lot of sense to be there in some way.

Facebook is looking to be the startup page of the web. One thing about Facebook in comparison to other social sites like Twitter and LinkedIn is your mom and my mom and even our grandmothers are probably there. Facebook is the one network that most people seem to understand how and why to use.

[Patrysha]

I thought you might be linking to this YouTube video that was shared on one of my public relations professionals email loops late last week.

YouTube - Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng)

[Harold Mansfield]

I thought you might be linking to this YouTube video that was shared on one of my public relations professionals email loops late last week.

YouTube - Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng)

Yeah, I really like those. I though I had seen that one before, but the date on it says May 5th 2010 then I noticed some of the numbers had changed. Things are really moving fast.
Even the information about information is changing at a record pace.

[greenoak]

im just shocked by facebook....i use it instead of email a lot....and its creeping into my blog time....we have over 500 fans now on the business page......and im trying to market to them correctly....weve done ads too...wow....you can target so wonderfully....and so cheap...
i liked the fan idea better than the like thing...im very thankful for facebook!!!!
ann

[vangogh]

See even Ann likes Facebook :) Hi Ann. Nice to see you back again.

[greenoak]

thanks vg....now ive got 2 blogs,a forum and facebook....its kind of wierd..
for me, still mostly a tekk dud..
..i do like facebook...its a perfect fit with my target audience.... married home owners......
ann

[vangogh]

Would you have believed a couple of years ago you would be running a couple of blogs and a forum and be active with a Facebook fan page?

I can see where Facebook would be a good fit for you. That's the think with social sites. They can all be very good, but you really do want to find the one(s) where your audience spends it's time and will be most likely to find you.

[greenoak]

so true vg....and its so local compared to my blog readers....and local means they can actually come to the store!!!
and its wierd to my dh who has the computer skills.....and knows how lacking i am!!!..but hes not on any of the social media..he knows its helping our business tho...his outreach on line is mean and nasty political forums .... ..or tractors or golf or baseball places....... ..
we tell our customers in the store we are on facebook...and its usually a big smile and they say something like ; thats great.....or when we try to get their email address , so we can send out info and sales etc, they might say...i dont need it im on your facebook....
im digging into the links in the facebook threads....as usuall im finding great info on here.....!!! thanks...ann

[vangogh]

It's kind of funny that dh with the computer skills isn't the one on Facebook, but you are. I think one of the reasons they've been so successful is you don't have to be the high tech computer geek to interact there.

It's great that your customers are there too and you're able to communicate with them through the site.

[Harold Mansfield]

so true vg....and its so local compared to my blog readers....and local means they can actually come to the store!!!
and its wierd to my dh who has the computer skills.....and knows how lacking i am!!!..but hes not on any of the social media..he knows its helping our business tho...his outreach on line is mean and nasty political forums .... ..or tractors or golf or baseball places....... ..
we tell our customers in the store we are on facebook...and its usually a big smile and they say something like ; thats great.....or when we try to get their email address , so we can send out info and sales etc, they might say...i dont need it im on your facebook....
im digging into the links in the facebook threads....as usuall im finding great info on here.....!!! thanks...ann

Ann I actually really like your Facebook page. I have never been to your store, but it feels like what I imagine it feels like to be in the store.

Very astute that you recognize the importance of images to set the mood, and you actually interact with your Fans in a timely fashion.

That's what it's all about.

I wouldn't change a thing.
Nice job.

[vangogh]

I'll second that. You do have a good Facebook page and I can see your customers interact with you there. Well done.

[greenoak]

really!!! thanks...
.im trying hard to be more like my daughters , and not becasue shes my kid.......shes got such a fun exciting tone on hers...take a look... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bella-Chic-Interiors/144176565163
i am learning from the links around here that i could use the notes and boxes better...one link even said that was more important than the wall...this week, after coming here, i thought about facebook connect but instead we went with putting this really neat link with pictures on our website www.greenoakantiques.com.. we figured we werent big enough to go for facebook connect......
im really seeing facebook as some new thing that could be big for us.... also i put a poll on last week and 50 folks voted...that would be actual customers.........
how do you make it more about them and not so much about me me me? thats the hard part...imho...this site does so well imho...especiallyin engaging her customers.shes a friend and customer ..http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Rochester-IN/Flirt-Boutique/189966247305?ref=ts