In 2011, Facebook officially overtook Google as the most visited site on the globe, with a whopping 50% of its 65-million active users accessing the site daily. Such statistics indicate that 2011 was a year that saw an explosion of social media formats.
Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and various blog platforms, as well as devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry, allowed more people to become part of the social network phenomenon.
What does this mean for the future in 2012?
It’s estimated that, by the end of 2012, the volume of digital data will grow by 48% to reach a total 2.7 zettabytes, writes blogger Justin Cooke. For those who can’t do the maths, that’s 2.7 billion terabytes of data. According to Cooke, this means that focusing on utilising this huge amount of data will become a priority for businesses worldwide. Jay Österholm, of The Österholm Digital Marketing Group, reveals studies have found that 57% of businesses plan to increase spending on social media in 2012, with nearly a third of them labelling it high priority.
Image courtesy Steve Rhode
Companies that took the initiative in 2011, writes Harley Rivet, president of Deep Dish Digital, have seen tremendous growth in their community base. Coca-Cola experienced a 40% drop in traffic on their website, but despite this has to date recorded more than 22-million fans on its Facebook page. Figures like these make assessing global trends imperative for any business looking to improve their promotional effectiveness on the web.
The tools we use to access online platforms are also becoming more and more important.
“I think we are going to see a massive growth in the consumption of Apple products,” says Tara Turkington, CEO of Flow Communications. “The introduction of the iPad2 has changed the way that people in South Africa think about Apple – it’s become a gateway product and a massive introduction to the brand in this country. Apple has made products like computers and phones sexy.
“There have been predictions that by the end of this year, 80% of South Africans will be using smart phones, and we’re seeing a massive growth in the number of people accessing the internet via their mobile phones.
“Three years ago, only 1-2% of people were using their phones to access our websites. Now, we’re seeing 10-15% of people who are choosing to do this. This changes the way we need to think about the design of websites.
“The web is still a fast expanding universe. There is now more competition to pipe the internet to South Africa, prices have gone down, and so there are more people accessing the the web. Web users have also become more savvy – the quality of a website is now a priority, so that it stands out from others already out there.”
Says Richard Frank, programming manager at Flow Communications, “Websites can no longer be just a brochure of information. Users want to be engaged with the company’s website and desire more interactive online experiences. You need to make use of media formats like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to share more information.
“We are entering a phase where web platforms have to meet every criteria, from the cellphone browser to the computer. We saw how popular tablets like the iPad became in only two years, and pretty soon we’ll be surfing the web from our lounge using the TV.”
For more information, visit these blogs:
Deep Dish Digital
Facebook
imediaconnection
Österholm Digital Marketing Group