the global social network landscape - · pdf filebecause of low internet penetration rates,...

THE GLOBAL SOCIAL NETWORK LANDSCAPEA Country-by-Country Guide to Social Network Usage

JULY 2013

Mitchel Winkels

Contributors: Victor Aka, Man-Chung Cheung, Jasmine Enberg, Osbaldo Franco, Thiago Guimaraes,

Jennifer Jhun, Natalie Marin-Sharp, Jennifer Pearson, Hilary Rengert, Debbie Williamson

Read this on eMarketer for iPad

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emarketer/id611556300



THE GLOBAL SOCIAL NETWORK LANDSCAPE: A COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY GUIDE TO SOCIAL NETWORK USAGE ©2013 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2

CONTENTS2 Executive Summary

3 Asia-Pacific

12 Central and Eastern Europe

16 EU-5

23 Latin America

27 Middle East and Africa

31 Nordic Countries

35 North America

39 Related Links

39 Editorial and Production Contributors

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On first glance, it might seem possible to sum up the

global social network landscape in a single

word: Facebook. With almost 1.1 billion users

expected by the end of 2013, Facebook has become

the top social network in nearly every country in the

world except China and Russia. However, it is far from

the only social network internet users worldwide

access. Even with a clear leader, the global landscape

is too complex to be summed up with a single site.

Around the world, internet users still turn to homegrown social network alternatives. While most of these sites do not pose a threat to Facebook’s dominance, they still play an important role and may be a valuable channel for many marketers.

Most notably, mobile social networking applications like KakaoTalk, Path, LINE and WeChat are growing in Asia-Pacific. In some countries, anecdotal evidence suggests these applications may even be surpassing more established social networks like Twitter. Although these new services are not all social networks in the traditional sense, they are constantly adding new features that bring them closer to looking like one.

Consumer behavior on social media also varies greatly from country to country. Broadly speaking, populations in emerging markets are less likely to use social networks because of low internet penetration rates, but those who do are generally very young, highly engaged and likely to interact with brands. Meanwhile, the converse is true of many developed nations, where the majority of consumers are social network users, but their age is more evenly distributed, and they are less likely to engage with brands.

Though Facebook’s near-ubiquitous lead might indicate that the global social network landscape is simplifying, it quickly becomes clear this is not the case. This report aims to help marketers assess the social network landscape in 27 countries by briefly examining four key factors: top social networks, usage, social media advertising and mobile social trends.

KEY QUESTIONS ■ What are the top social networks in countries

around the world?

■ How do social network user demographics and

habits differ from country to country?

■ How likely are internet users to interact with brands

and advertising on social networks?

■ How does mobile fit into the social

networking landscape?

millions

Leading Social Networks Worldwide, Ranked byUnique Visitors, Jan 2013

Facebook 818.2

Twitter 189.8

LinkedIn 164.2

QQ microblog101.5

Tumblr93.1

Source: comScore Inc. as cited by Barclays Capital, "Internet & Media 101:March 2013 Edition," March 15, 2013159257 www.eMarketer.com


ASIA-PACIFIC

It is almost impossible to have a discussion about

the social network landscape in Asia-Pacific without

including mobile messaging applications. Although

they may not be considered social networks by

traditional definitions, they have begun to blur

the line between mobile service and mobile

social network.

Mobile messaging applications originally began as text and audio messaging services—similar to SMS and voicemail. However, the most popular applications have started adding social networking features like group chat, video chat, file-sharing, photo feeds (similar to Instagram) and friending capabilities, to name a few. In much of the region, the mobile messaging application market is highly competitive, as services continue to evolve and add more features.

With the exception of Australia, mobile messaging applications have surged in popularity throughout Asia-Pacific. There is little data on these services, but anecdotal evidence and company reports suggest applications like WeChat, KakaoTalk, LINE and Path have gained significant audiences in a relatively short period of time—and they might pose a challenge for social networks that are not as mobile-centered.

AUSTRALIA

millions and % share of visits

Top 10 Social Network Sites in Australia, Ranked byTotal Visits, Week ending May 11, 2013

1. Facebook

2. YouTube

3. YouTube Mobile

4. Tumblr

5. Yahoo! Answers

6. LinkedIn

7. reddit

8. Ask.fm

9. Twitter

10. Pinterest

Total visits

94.1

78.0

14.4

4.8

4.1

3.6

2.9

2.5

2.4

2.3

% share of visits

35.5%

29.4%

5.4%

1.8%

1.5%

1.4%

1.1%

1.0%

0.9%

0.9%

Source: Experian Hitwise Australia, May 13, 2013157166 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks The social media landscape in Australia bears little resemblance to that of other Asia-Pacific countries. Facebook is the dominant social network by far. eMarketer expects that in 2013, 62.0% of the nation’s internet users will belong to the site and that the number of users will grow at a double-digit pace this year. Data from GlobalWebIndex is in line with our estimates, indicating that 68% of internet users were Facebook users in Q1 2013.

Other social networks have relatively tiny user bases. Some studies now rank Tumblr as the second most popular social network in Australia. Yet with only 1.8% of social network traffic share, according to May 2013 figures from Experian Marketing Services (formerly Experian Hitwise), the site is well behind Facebook’s 35.5% share.

Usage eMarketer estimates 68.0% of Australia’s internet users, or 51.4% of its population, will have a social network account in 2013. In comparison, October 2012 polling by the UK’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) determined 66% of the internet users in the country were on social networks, and InSites Consulting found this number to be 72% in Q2 2012. Growth in social network use remains relatively high compared with other developed nations. eMarketer expects Australia to see 10.4% growth in social network users this year, compared with an increase of just 4.0% in the US.

As elsewhere, social networkers in Australia skew young. According to Ofcom’s survey, 70% of internet users in the 18-to-24 age group used social networks. The percentage stays relatively consistent until adults in the 45-to-54 range, when it slips to 58% and then to 37% for those 55 and older. A study from Sensis also determined social network users were younger, but it found a slightly larger difference between generations: 86% of internet users ages 20 to 29 were on social networks in June 2012, compared with 47% of 40- to 49-year-olds and 27% of adults 65 and older.


A Q4 2012 study by GlobalWebIndex discovered internet users in Australia spend a large amount of time on social networks. Respondents spent an average of 1.26 hours per day on social networks and about 22 minutes microblogging—constituting 27% and 8% of all time spent online, respectively. Meanwhile, a September 2012 study from Roy Morgan Research found social networkers spent more than 6 hours per month on social networks—more time than search, news, shopping and email combined. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Advertising Social network users in Australia are less likely to interact with brands on social media than those in other Asia-Pacific markets. In a November 2012 study by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 33% of internet users said they regularly checked brands’ pages. Japan was the only country surveyed from the region with a smaller percentage. Forty-two percent of respondents from Australia followed at least one brand on a social network. Meanwhile, data from InSites Consulting showed 48% of social networkers in Australia followed or engaged with a brand on social media, placing the country behind India, the US, Japan, Brazil and China.

A large portion of social network users in Australia has also blocked brands. A study from Latitude Insights and The Social Hatch conducted in December 2012 found 44% of social networkers had done so. When asked about their reasons for blocking brands, 55% of respondents had made the decision to block because the brand posted too much, while 36% cited content that was not interesting. Brands that want to engage with social network users will need to make sure their content is both relevant and interesting. In an April 2012 survey by the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) and Yellow Pages, 64% of social networkers said they followed brands because of discounts, 54% cited giveaways and 48% did so for product information.

Mobile eMarketer estimates 81.8% of Australia’s population will use a mobile phone in 2013. However, data about mobile social usage varies. In July 2012, AIMIA and Complete the Picture Consulting found 61% of mobile phone users surveyed had accessed social networks via their phone within the past 12 months. But figures from an October 2012 Ofcom survey showed much lower usage, with 40% of mobile phone owners reporting they had accessed social networks on the device.

Not surprisingly, smartphone users are more likely than the average mobile user to access social networks this way. Q2 2012 numbers from InSites Consulting revealed 74% of smartphone owners in Australia used the device to log on to social media daily. As smartphone use grows, mobile social network use will most certainly continue to follow. eMarketer expects Australia to gain 2.7 million smartphone users in 2013.

In Australia, mobile social network use is beginning to rival desktop use. In AIMIA and Yellow Pages’ April 2012 study, 53% of social network users accessed social networks on a smartphone, compared with 54% on a desktop. Meanwhile, 69% said they accessed social networks via laptop.

CHINA

% of internet users

Active* Users on Select Social Networks in China, Q4 2012

Qzone 43%

Sina Weibo 37%

Renren 24%

Tencent 21%

Kaixin 11%

Note: n=2,073; *used or contributed on any deviceSource: GlobalWebIndex as cited in company blog, March 7, 2013157990 www.eMarketer.com


Social Networks China has one of the largest and most unusual social media landscapes in the world. Because China’s government blocked Facebook and Twitter, regional social networks have filled the void. Qzone is the most popular social network, but microblogs (known as weibo) have seen the largest growth in recent years. According to GlobalWebIndex, Sina Weibo is now the most popular weibo and the second most popular social network in the country. In Q4 2012, 37% of internet users belonged to the site, vs. 43% on Qzone. In fact, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) found in June 2012 that microblog use exceeded traditional social network use: 50.9% of internet users had a microblog account, vs. 46.6% belonging to a social network.

Mobile messaging applications are also gaining popularity and could begin to threaten the dominance of weibo. Currently, WeChat is the most popular mobile messaging application in China, surging in popularity since its relatively recent launch in 2011. According to Tencent (WeChat’s owner), WeChat was expected to exceed 400 million registered users worldwide in May 2013, with only 50 million of these users outside of China. It is important to note that this number is inflated because it represents registered users, not active users.

Usage eMarketer forecasts that just 27.1% of China’s population will use social networks in 2013. This low penetration rate is largely due to low internet penetration, with just 46.0% of the country’s population accessing the internet this year, eMarketer estimates. While this is higher than other growing countries in Asia-Pacific, it is still far behind most developed nations.

Despite this relatively low penetration rate, China’s massive population means it will have the most social network users in the world, with more than 366 million expected in 2013. Internet users are also likely to have a social network account. eMarketer expects 59.0% of internet users will be social networkers this year.

Social network users in China are overwhelmingly young and highly engaged: April 2012 polling by the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project found 61% of 18- to 29-year-olds in the country used social networks. Usage dropped dramatically with age—more so than many developed nations. Just 8% of adults 50 and older reported having a social network account.

Microblog users in China are also overwhelmingly young, with those ages 35 and under accounting for 70% of users, according to H1 2012 figures from the Data Center of China Internet. In addition, males (57.4%) were more likely than females (42.6%) to use microblogs.

Those who have a social media account are accessing it frequently. In an October 2012 study by CNNIC, 87% of social networkers in China said they logged on at least weekly. GlobalWebIndex also found internet users spend a large amount of time on social networks: around 1.32 hours social networking and 1.20 hours on microblogs daily in Q4 2012.

Advertising Social network users in China are increasingly turning to social media to interact with brands and learn about new products. In Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor’s November 2012 study, 67% of internet users in China indicated that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages. When asked whether they had followed or engaged with a brand on a social network, 65% of respondents said yes. This figure is higher than eMarketer’s social network user penetration numbers, possibly indicating internet users in China are interacting with brands on social media even if they do not have an account with a social network. A separate study from CNNIC found 42.5% of males on social media and 47.4% of females followed a brand or company page in October 2012.

Social networkers are also turning to social media for shopping. In an August 2012 survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, 56% of online shoppers polled in China said they had done so. By comparison, the worldwide average was 24%. As a result, users expect brands to be active and responsive online. A study from Arnold Worldwide found 74% of internet users in China expected brands to respond to social media comments in April 2012.

Being responsive on social media is no easy task for brands. The social landscape is constantly changing, and users regularly turn to a variety of sites. Q2 2012 research by InSites Consulting concluded that 37% of social network users in China had accounts on five or more social networks. Meanwhile, only 25% had an account with just one site.


Mobile Mobile phone use is relatively high in China and continues to grow. eMarketer expects 77.0% of the nation’s population will own a mobile phone in 2013. As a result, mobile social network use is also fairly high. In October 2012, Ofcom found 37% of mobile phone owners surveyed in China used social networks via mobile, compared with 40% of US respondents.

Microblogs are especially mobile-friendly, and users are increasingly accessing them on their mobile phones. A study from CNNIC found 48.2% of mobile internet users were accessing microblogs via the device in 2012. Mobile messaging applications like WeChat are also benefiting from increased mobile phone ownership in China.

Smartphone use is growing rapidly in China. eMarketer expects 40.0% of China’s mobile phone owners to use smartphones in 2013. Not surprisingly, smartphone owners are more likely to access social media via their phone. InSites Consulting reported 68% of smartphone users polled used the device to access social media daily in Q2 2012. Meanwhile, 60% of smartphone users logged on to social networking apps on their phone in 2012, according to Nielsen data.

For more information, see eMarketer’s April 2012 report, “China Social Networks: Tactics from the Marketing Trenches.”

INDIA

% of respondents

Top Social Media Sites Among Active* Internet Usersin India, Sep 2012

Facebook 97%

Google+ 34%

LinkedIn 17%

Twitter 14%

orkut 11%

ibibo6%

Note: *accessed in the past monthSource: IMRB International, "Web Audience Measurement (WAM)" as citedby Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International,"Social Media in India - 2012," March 12, 2013153915 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the most popular social network in India, and despite the country’s low internet usage rates, the population is vast enough to place the nation among the top countries in terms of number of Facebook users worldwide. eMarketer’s estimates place India even higher—ranking No. 2 globally, with 114.8 million users in 2013.

orkut used to be one of the most popular social networks in India, but as is the case in many countries, Facebook and other sites have overtaken it. Still, the site remains among the top five social networks in India. Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter round out the list.

Mobile messaging apps have also started to gain popularity. However, India has a small number of smartphone users relative to its enormous population. Services like WhatsApp and Nimbuzz offer many similar features to WeChat and LINE. According to data from Nielsen, WhatsApp was even more popular than Facebook among smartphone owners in India in April 2013.

Usage eMarketer estimates 10.4% of India’s population will use a social network in 2013. This low rate is largely due to the fact that only 13.2% of the country’s residents will access the internet this year. But those who do have internet access are very likely to use social networks, with 78.9% expected to have an account in 2013. Growth has been high and will continue on this trajectory for the foreseeable future. The total number of social networkers increased by 59.3% in 2012 and will grow almost as much this year, at 46.1%.

May 2013 data from Socialbakers.com indicated that Facebook users in India were overwhelmingly young: Almost half (48%) were ages 18 to 24, and 89% were under 35 years old. India’s overall internet user base skews heavily male, so social network usage follows the same pattern. Out of the Facebook users surveyed, 75% were male and 25% were female.

http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Reports/Viewer.aspx?R=2000917



Internet users in India are highly active on social media. In June 2012, comScore found social media took 25.2% of internet users’ time spent online—the largest share among online activities in India. Similarly, a GlobalWebIndex study determined that internet users in the country spent 31% of their online time on social media and 16% of their time on microblogs daily in Q4 2012. This translates to an average of 1.74 hours on social networks and just under 1 hour microblogging per day.

Advertising Social network users in India are likely to engage with brands via social. Around eight in 10 (81%) internet users indicated that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages, according to Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor’s November 2012 survey. In addition, 75% of internet users in India engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network—the highest percentage among all Asia-Pacific countries surveyed. These results exceed eMarketer’s social network user penetration numbers for India, possibly indicating internet users are engaging with brands on social media even if they do not have an account. Meanwhile, Q2 2012 figures from InSites Consulting revealed lower levels of engagement, with 50% of social networkers saying they followed brands on social media.

But users aren’t likely to post about brands. A study from GlobalWebIndex found only 28% of India’s Twitter users posted an opinion about a product or brand on the social network in Q2 2012. And in a November 2012 survey by AIP Corporation, just 26% of social network users said they told their friends about promotions on social media, despite the fact that 64% reported noticing promotions on these networks.

Mobile In many developing nations, mobile devices have made broader internet access possible, and this will likely be the case in India’s future. However, for the time being, mobile adoption is relatively low. eMarketer projects 43.0% of India’s population will own a mobile phone and just 14.0% of mobile phone owners will own a smartphone in 2013. This is in line with data from Nielsen, which showed 10% of residents with mobile phones owned a smartphone last year.

In India, those who do have internet access on their phone are likely to be using mobile social media. According to a June 2012 study by the Internet & Mobile Association of India and IMRB International, 77% of urban mobile internet users surveyed used social media on their phone—the second most popular mobile activity, falling behind email. By comparison, InSites Consulting reported that 92% of smartphone users accessed social media daily in Q2 2012.

For more information, see eMarketer’s December 2012 report, “India Online: Defining the New ‘Digital Class.’”

INDONESIA

% of respondents

Social Networks Used by Social Network Users inIndonesia, Aug 2012

Facebook 95.7%

YouTube 47.6%

Google+ 37.6%

Twitter 29.4%

Note: in the past weekSource: Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and Gallup Organization,"Media Use in Indonesia 2012," Oct 16, 2012150275 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is currently the most popular social network in Indonesia. In fact, there are so many people using the social network that the country ranks fourth for the most Facebook users worldwide. eMarketer expects Indonesia to have 63.2 million users in 2013. April 2013 data from Socialbakers.com also placed the nation fourth, with 47.2 million users.

Twitter is popular in Indonesia as well, largely due to the fact that it is a mobile-friendly social network. GlobalWebIndex reported that 55% of internet users surveyed were on Twitter in Q1 2013—the highest percentage in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, August 2012 research from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and Gallup Organization found 29.4% of social networkers in the country had used Twitter within the past week.



However, Indonesia’s social media landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and users are often quick to adopt the latest social network. Mobile has become a dominant force for change. As is the case in China and South Korea, mobile messaging apps are becoming increasingly popular and beginning to threaten Facebook’s and Twitter’s leads.

Four main mobile messaging applications are competing for users’ time in Indonesia: KakaoTalk, Path, LINE and WeChat. Usage data is limited, so it is not clear how these new players stack up against Facebook and the other traditional social networks. However, it is safe to say the applications will be a part of the social media landscape in the country for the foreseeable future.

Usage Nearly every internet user in Indonesia uses a social network. eMarketer estimates 92.3% of the country’s internet users will use social networks in 2013. However, internet use is relatively low in the country, with just 29.0% of the population projected to use the internet this year and as a result only 26.8% of the residents expected to use social networks. Despite relatively low penetration rates, Indonesia’s population is large enough that it ranks fifth for the most social network users worldwide, at 67.2 million in 2013.

Social network users in Indonesia are overwhelmingly young. In fact, BBG and Gallup Org.’s study determined that the country had almost no active social networkers over 55, at 1%. On the other end of the age spectrum, 56% of consumers ages 15 to 24 had used social media in the past week. This number fell quickly to 27% and 7% for the 25-to-34 and 35-to-54 age groups, respectively.

Those who use social networks are highly engaged. According to GlobalWebIndex, the country ranked seventh for the time internet users spent on social media, with internet users spending 2.21 hours social networking and 1.38 hours microblogging per day in Q4 2012. The two activities took up 33% and 21% of the time internet users in Indonesia spent online daily, respectively.

Advertising Internet users in Indonesia are likely to follow brands online. In fact, 79% indicated that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages, according to Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor’s November 2012 survey. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network.

Because of their high level of engagement, social network users in Indonesia expect brands to be active on social media and post compelling, quality content. Q1 2012 polling by Yahoo! and TNS revealed that 83% of urban internet users “liked” a brand on Facebook because it shared information that was relevant, and 82% “liked” a brand because the content was interesting.

Mobile The mobile social media landscape in Indonesia is rapidly changing as mobile messaging services gain favor with users. Not surprisingly, mobile adoption is also growing. eMarketer predicts 69.0% of the nation’s population will own a mobile phone in 2013. Smartphone use shows the most potential for future growth. While just 24.0% of mobile phone owners will use smartphones this year, eMarketer expects penetration to reach 53.0% by 2017. A Q3 2012 study from Credit Suisse found 52% of consumers in Indonesia planned to upgrade to a smartphone in the next 12 months. As smartphone use grows, mobile social network use will likely follow.

For more information, see eMarketer’s March 2013 report, “Indonesia Online: A Digital Economy Emerges, Fueled by Cheap Mobile Handsets.”




JAPAN

% of respondents

Social Networks Used by Internet Users in Japan, Feb 2013

Facebook38.9%

Twitter35.8%

mixi27.1%

Google+9.8%

Mobage-town7.4%

GREE7.2%

LinkedIn0.9%

Other1.4%

Have used before, but do not use now5.9%

Have not used any social networks32.1%

Note: n=1,081 ages 10+Source: goo Research as cited by japan.internet.com, Feb 22, 2013153968 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks While Facebook is the most widely used social network in Japan, it does not dominate the social landscape the way it does in many other countries. That is partially due to the popularity of other products, but it is also because internet users in Japan are simply less inclined to use social networks than those in many other highly developed internet markets.

Despite this, Facebook is growing rapidly in the country. eMarketer expects the number of Facebook users to increase by 42.8% in 2013, the third-highest growth rate worldwide. Twitter, mixi and Google+ are other top social networks. mixi used to be the most popular social network in the country but has since lost share—and continues to see its share erode.

LINE, a mobile messaging application, is quickly gaining ground in Japan and is the dominant mobile messaging application. In July 2012, The Japan Times announced the service had 20 million registered users in the country. According to a March 2013 study from NIFTY and Comnico, the social network makes up 35.1% of the social network user market share among college students ages 20 to 26. While this is a small segment of Japan’s population, it does offer a glimpse into the potential future of social media in the nation. Notably, mixi did not even rank in the study.

Usage Despite relatively high internet and mobile phone use, social media use lags in Japan. eMarketer estimates 37.8% of the population and 49.4% of internet users will access a social network 2013. Results from two other studies are in line with our numbers: In October 2012, Ofcom found 49% of internet users in Japan were social networkers, and according to the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, 46% of internet users in the country were accessing social networks in spring 2012.

Growth in social network users will also be low, increasing just 6.9% this year and declining to 2.6% by 2017. This growth rate is particularly low, especially considering the country is far from saturation.

Social users in Japan are younger, but even among young users, social networking is not particularly widespread. In its survey, Ofcom found only 53% of internet users ages 18 to 24 used social networks. This number remains close to 50% for 25- to 54-year-olds and then falls to 29% for adults 55 and older. The Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project reported higher usage: 71% the 18-to-29 age bracket used social networks, while 41% and 10% of the 30-to-49 and 50 and older age groups did so, respectively.

With such low penetration and growth numbers, it should come as no surprise that internet users in Japan do not spend a large amount of time on social networks. GlobalWebIndex reported that internet users in the country only spent about 23 minutes social networking and 21 minutes microblogging daily, representing shares of 10% and 9% of total time spent online per day in Q4 2012, respectively. Internet users in Japan spent less time on social media than in any of the 31 countries included in the survey.


Advertising Internet users in Japan are among the least likely in the world to engage with a brand on social media. According to Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor’s November 2012 study, just 16% of respondents indicated that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages. In addition, only 19% of internet users in the country engaged with or followed a brand on social media. Among social networkers, 56% said they followed brands in Q2 2012, according to data from InSites Consulting. This was the only study to place Japan ahead of any other country.

Among internet users who did follow brands on social media, 58% did so because the brand sent them coupons, and 28% did so because of contests, according to December 2012 research by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor. However, with so few internet users engaging with brands on social media, the main challenge is gaining social network users’ interest and trust in the first place.

Mobile Mobile phone use in Japan is higher than in almost any country in the world, and it is one reason mobile-only services like LINE are gaining in popularity. eMarketer forecasts that this year, 85.0% of the country’s population will own a mobile phone and 41.7% will have a smartphone. Data suggests smartphone users are more likely than the average population to log on to social media. According to InSites Consulting, 72% of smartphone owners in Japan accessed social media via the device in Q2 2012.

Mobile social network users are likely to use the same social networks they do on a desktop. According to D2C Inc., 45.6% of smartphone owners in Japan accessed Facebook on their phone and 42.6% accessed Twitter in November 2012. mixi ranked third, at 34.5%. Data from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications largely confirms this but places Twitter ahead of Facebook, with 29.4% and 23.5% of social media market share on smartphones in 2012, respectively. Again, mixi took the No. 3 spot, with 20.4%. Data on LINE has yet to appear in any major studies, so it did not rank. However, anecdotal evidence suggests use will start to rival most of the big social networks in the country.

SOUTH KOREA

% of total

Most Used Social Network According to SocialNetwork Users in South Korea, Aug 2012

KakaoStory 31.5%

Facebook 28.0%

Twitter 19.4%

Cyworld minihompy 17.0%

Other* 4.0%

Note: numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding; *includesCyworld C-Log, Daum Yozm, me2day, etc.Source: Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), "2012South Korea Media Panel Survey" as cited in "SNS (Social Network Service)Usage," April 30, 2013157004 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Mobile phone use in South Korea has become so ubiquitous that it overtook desktop as the primary method for accessing social media last year. As a result, mobile social networks and mobile messaging apps are as popular as traditional social networks like Facebook.

In the past, Cyworld was consistently the top social network, but it faces growing competition from products more adapted for mobile use. KakaoTalk, a mobile messaging application, quickly grew in popularity and spawned KakaoStory, a mobile photo-sharing application similar to Instagram. Both KakaoTalk and KakaoStory consistently rank as some of the most popular social networks in the country.

Facebook is also part of the social media landscape in South Korea but is not nearly as big of a player as it is in most other countries worldwide. eMarketer estimates just 16.8% of internet users will belong to the social network in 2013—the lowest Facebook penetration rate among all the countries we measure.

Usage Half of South Korea’s population will use social networks this year, eMarketer forecasts. This is largely due to the country’s high mobile and internet penetration rates. eMarketer predicts that in 2013, 78.5% of the population will be use the internet. Social network growth has slowed in recent years and will be 7.9% this year—on par with most developed nations.


Social network users in South Korea skew younger, with 90.2% of those ages 20 to 29 using social media last year, according to a study from Korea Communications Commission and Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). However, as is often the case with more developed nations, social network use is higher among older generations than in developing countries. Use only dropped to 52.3% and 42.9% for respondents ages 40 to 49 and 50 to 59, respectively.

Considering South Korea’s population is so connected, it might come as a surprise that social networkers are not highly engaged with social media. GlobalWebIndex determined internet users spent around 47 minutes social networking and 32 minutes microblogging per day in Q4 2012. As a result, South Korea ranked 26th in terms of time spent among the 31 countries surveyed. Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor’s November 2012 study found 41% of internet users in South Korea spent 1 to 2 hours daily on social media. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Online communities and blogs are more popular than traditional profile-based social networking sites in the country. KISA discovered that 81.7% of social users surveyed preferred blogs and 72.5% favored online communities when it came to preferred types of social media. Just 21.1% preferred profile-based social network services in 2012.

Advertising Internet users in South Korea are unlikely to turn to social media to access information about brands. Only 40% of internet users indicated that they engaged with or followed at least one brand on social media, according to November 2012 data from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor. In addition, 47% of respondents regularly checked brands’ social network pages. These were some of the lowest responses in Asia-Pacific, with only Japan ranking lower in both questions.

Most social network users in South Korea don’t even notice advertising. AIP Corp.’s November 2012 data showed just 48% of social networkers had seen a promotion on social media. Word-of-mouth is equally unpopular. A March 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 21% of internet users in South Korea had recommended a brand they “liked” or followed on a social network.

Mobile South Korea’s residents are more likely to own a mobile device than those in almost any country worldwide. eMarketer expects 85.5% of the population to own a mobile phone in 2013 and 73.0% of this group to use a smartphone. As a result, social media skews toward mobile. A study from the Korea Federation of Advertising Associations found 36.0% of social media users used a PC as their primary method to access social media in 2012—down from 57.1% in 2011. Meanwhile, smartphone social media use increased from 36.3% in 2011 to 60.2% in 2012.

Smartphone owners are much more likely than the average social network user to log on to social media. According to a November 2012 survey by the Korea Communications Commission and KISA, 92% of smartphone owners who used social networks on their phone accessed social media at least weekly on the device.


CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

POLAND

% of respondents

Active* Users on Top Social Networks in Poland, Q4 2012

Facebook73%

nk.pl46%

YouTube40%

Google+30%

Badoo8%

Twitter7%

LinkedIn3%

Myspace2%

Other3%

None12%

Note: n=806; *used or contributed on any deviceSource: GlobalWebIndex as cited in company blog, March 7, 2013153446 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks nk.pl (formerly known as Nasza-klasa.pl) is the second most popular social network in Poland behind Facebook. The site connects students and alumni. Users register the school they went to and their graduation year to create a profile. According to GlobalWebIndex data, 46% of active internet users in Poland accessed or contributed to the site in Q4 2012. Research by Poland’s Megapanel PBI and Gemius SA also found nk.pl to be the second most popular social network. Study results showed 42.5% of internet users in Poland used the site in December 2012.

Meanwhile, Facebook has become the top social network in the country. In its Q4 2012 analysis, GlobalWebIndex determined 73% active internet users in Poland accessed or contributed to the site. Further confirming this finding, Megapanel PBI and Gemius SA’s December 2012 study found Facebook reached 69.4% of internet users. And usage is growing rapidly in Poland. June 2012 data from comScore showed Poland had the fourth-highest Facebook growth rate in the world, gaining 18.8% unique visitors year over year.

Usage According to Eurostat, 42% of Poland’s population used social networks in 2012. By comparison, 64.9% of residents were internet users in July 2012, according to the International Telecommunication Union. Data from GlobalWebIndex suggests higher penetration rates, with 73% of internet users on Facebook alone in Q4 2012.

As is the case worldwide, social network users in Poland tend to be younger; 82% of 18- to 29-year-olds had a social network account in April 2012, according to a study from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project. The numbers dropped drastically for older age groups: 53% for adults 30 to 49 and 8% for those 50 and older. This is a much less even distribution than one might see in more developed internet economies, such as the Nordic countries, but is in line with many other developed countries worldwide.

Social network users in Poland do not spend a particularly large amount of time on social media. A November 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 26% of internet users were spending 1 hour per day, and 15% spent 2 hours. Few users were spending more than 2 hours. Meanwhile, Q4 2012 data from GlobalWebIndex found internet users in Poland spent 1.03 hours social networking and around 17 minutes microblogging daily. Among the 31 countries included in the survey, Poland ranked in the bottom five for the time internet users spent on social networks.


Advertising Internet users in Poland are unlikely to interact with brands on social media. According to November 2012 research from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 36% of internet users regularly checked brands’ social network pages, and 38% said they engaged with or followed at least one brand. Meanwhile, a December 2012 study from the same sources found 55% of internet users in Poland wanted to stay connected to brands because the brands sent them coupons; 52% of respondents cited contests.

Mobile Mobile phone use is high in Poland, with 82.8% of the country’s residents owning a mobile phone in 2011, according to Millward Brown SMG/KRC and TGI Global. But smartphone use in the country is lagging. In a February 2012 study, the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe), TNS Infratest and Google determined that just 15% of the population owned a smartphone. Because of this, mobile social media use has yet to catch on. Only 18% of mobile phone owners reported using mobile social media in spring 2012, according to a study from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project.

Mobile internet users in Poland—and presumably, mobile social network users—are overwhelmingly young. A study from Millward Brown SMG/KRC conducted between April 2011 and March 2012 found 82.9% of mobile internet users were under 39 years old. In addition, males (63.9%) were more likely than females (36.1%) to access the internet via mobile.

RUSSIA

Top 15 Social Media Sites Among Internet Users in Russia, Ranked by Unique Visitors, Sep 2012

1. VK

2. Odnoklassniki.ru

3. YouTube

4. Mail.ru

5. Facebook

6. LiveJournal

7. Ask.com

8. Fotostrana

9. Twitter

10. Sprashivai.ru

11. Google+

12. Rutube

13. vKruguDruzei.ru

14. Mirtesen

15. Ask.fm

Total socialmedia sites

Uniquevisitors

(millions)

38.5

33.8

27.3

21.9

18.8

13.5

11.2

10.8

8.3

4.9

4.2

3.4

3.3

2.8

2.6

50.6

Pageviews

(millions)

13,429.2

3,676.9

1,334.5

1,457.6

636.9

295.2

85.0

815.2

378.4

222.6

21.7

11.2

38.7

50.5

341.0

24,459.8

Averagetime spentper visitor

(hrs:mins:secs)

9:17:02

4:11:25

1:46:24

2:09:21

0:51:55

0:36:15

0:15:20

1:50:59

1:31:48

1:23:28

0:11:01

0:03:42

0:10:06

0:25:16

3:35:34

13:49:27

%reach

66.2%

58.0%

46.9%

37.7%

32.3%

23.2%

19.3%

18.6%

14.2%

8.4%

7.1%

5.8%

5.7%

4.9%

4.4%

87.0%

Note: ages 18-75Source: Gemius SA, "Social Media in Russia"," Jan 2013152167 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Russia is one of the only countries where Facebook doesn’t dominate the social market. Instead, homegrown social networks remain popular. VK (formerly VKontakte) is the most widespread, with more than twice as many users as Facebook, according to a September 2012 study from Gemius SA. The site bears many similarities to Facebook—with one notable exception: VK allows users to stream a vast array of entertainment media within the site. Odnoklassniki.ru, which focuses on connecting classmates, is also a popular social network in the country that surpasses Facebook.

Still, Facebook has seen major growth in Russia. eMarketer estimates the social network saw user numbers rise by 62.8% in 2012 and expects a 57.8% increase this year, with double-digit growth continuing through 2017. According to Gemius SA, 32.3% of internet users in Russia accessed Facebook in September 2012, compared with 66.2% for VK. This is in line with eMarketer’s forecast that 28.0% of internet users will have a Facebook account in 2013.


Usage Internet users in Russia are likely to use social networks and are highly engaged. eMarketer projects 78.0% of the country’s internet users will be social networkers in 2013. This number places Russia fourth among countries worldwide. However, internet penetration rates are low compared with most developed nations, and this has affected social media adoption. eMarketer predicts 54.4% of the population will use the internet this year—on par with Italy and countries in Latin America. As a result, just 42.4% of Russia’s population will use social networks in 2013.

Social network users in Russia tend to be younger. According to April 2012 data from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, 84% of 18- to 29-year-olds in the country used social networks. This number falls to 59% and 20% for adults 30 to 49 and 50 and older, respectively. However, the social network used can also determine the difference in age. September 2012 polling by Gemius SA found almost half (48.5%) of VK users were ages 18 to 24, with use dropping to 24.2% among 25- to 34-year-olds. Meanwhile, users on Odnoklassniki.ru are most likely to fall into the 25-to-34 age range—accounting for 42.2% of the site’s users. Age distribution is the most even among Facebook users, with the highest use coming from adults 45 to 54, at 29.6%.

In Russia, people who use social networks are very involved and tend to log in frequently. According to a 2012 study from Levada Center, 76% of internet users logged on to social networks weekly, with 37% saying they did so daily/almost daily. Meanwhile, data from comScore found social network users in Russia spent more time on social media than nearly any country in the world—9.6 hours—in November 2012, placing the country third worldwide behind Argentina and Brazil.

GlobalWebIndex’s Q4 2012 survey offers a different view—with internet users spending 1.68 hours social networking and approximately 32 minutes microblogging daily. Russia ranked 18th out of 31 countries—behind many countries in Latin America and Asia-Pacific but ahead of most countries in Europe and North America. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Advertising Despite high usage and engagement rates, November 2012 data from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor indicated that internet users were unlikely to interact with brands on social networks. In this way, the social media landscape in Russia resembles more mature digital economies of Western Europe. Just 24% of internet users in the country indicated that they followed or engaged with at least one brand on a social network—the lowest out of all Eastern European countries surveyed. In addition, 35% of internet users reported that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages.

Mobile Mobile phone use is common in Russia. eMarketer estimates 76.0% of the country’s population will own a mobile phone in 2013. However, smartphone use is relatively light, with just 35.0% of mobile phone owners expected to own a smartphone this year. As a result, mobile social network use is also relatively low; spring 2012 research from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project found 22% of mobile phone owners in Russia accessed social networks via their phone. Smartphone users are the most likely to use mobile social networks. Nielsen data showed 53% of smartphone owners using social networking apps last year.

Mobile social network use in Russia largely reflects overall social usage. In October 2012 polling by J’son and Partners, VK took the top spot, with 74% of smartphone users accessing this site. Odnoklassniki.ru came in second, with 49% of smartphone owners, and Facebook was third, at 30%.

For more information, see eMarketer’s February 2013 report, “Russia Online: Gaining an Understanding of ‘The Runet.’”




TURKEY

Top 10 Social Network Sites Among Internet Users in Turkey, Ranked by Unique Visitors, Dec 2012

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Instagram

4. Linkedin

5. foursquare

6. Badoo

7. Myspace

8. Pinterest

9. FriendFeed

10. hi5

Uniqueusers

(millions)

22.1

8.9

2.1

1.3

1.2

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.3

0.2

Pageviews

(millions)

13,764.9

525.4

8.6

20.3

7.0

12.2

1.5

1.9

0.6

4.4

Average timespent per visitor

(hr:mins:secs)

16:17:26

1:50:50

0:02:12

0:16:08

0:02:59

0:40:47

0:00:41

0:04:04

0:02:49

0:23:41

%reach

84.17%

33.68%

8.11%

4.81%

4.64%

2.36%

2.10%

1.95%

1.09%

0.89%

Note: ages 12+Source: Ipsos KMG and Gemius SA, "Internet Audience Measurement,"March 4, 2013153172 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Social networkers in Turkey largely turn to Facebook and Twitter. According to a December 2012 study by Ipsos KMG and Gemius SA, Facebook was the top social network in the country, reaching nearly 84.2% of internet users. Twitter was the second most popular social network, with around 33.7% of internet users accessing the site. Similarly, in Q1 2013, GlobalWebIndex found 81% of internet users in Turkey used Facebook, and 43% made use of Twitter.

However, limited access to the internet means much of Turkey’s population does not use social networks. Data from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project revealed that just 43% of the population used the internet in spring 2012. Likewise, the Dubai School of Government found only 41.3% of Turkey’s population had an account on Facebook in June 2012.

Usage Residents in Turkey who have access to the internet are very likely to use social networks. According to the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, 81% of internet users in the country were social network users in spring 2012. And social users in the nation skewed young: 69% of the respondents in the 18-to-29 age range used social networks in April 2012, with the percentage dropping to 31% for adults 30 to 49 and 7% for those 50 and over.

Social users in Turkey are also highly engaged. According to comScore Media Metrix, social networkers spent 8.6 hours on social media sites in November 2012, placing the country fifth worldwide. Data from GlobalWebIndex also found internet users in Turkey as being very involved. According to a Q4 2012 survey, internet users spent 1.94 hours social networking and 1.09 hours microblogging daily. Although these numbers are much higher than comScore’s, the combined total of 3.03 hours per day placed Turkey 10th out of the 31 countries surveyed worldwide. In addition, social networking and microblogging took up 36% and 20%, respectively, of internet users’ daily time spent online. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Advertising Internet users in Turkey are much more likely to interact with brands on social networks than most of their neighboring European countries. In fact, the country resembles the emerging markets of Latin America and parts of Asia-Pacific. According to Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 63% of internet users in Turkey indicated that they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network in November 2012. In addition, 67% of respondents said they regularly checked brands’ social network pages. In both cases, respondents in Turkey were nearly twice as likely to agree to these statements as internet users in other Eastern European countries.

Mobile Mobile phone use is relatively high in Turkey. According to the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, 85% of the population owned a mobile phone in spring 2012. However, few are mobile social network users. Just 19% of respondents used the device to access social networks.

Part of the reason for low mobile social network use is that smartphones have yet to become mainstream devices in the country. According to Nielsen, 19% of mobile phone users owned a smartphone in 2012. As is the case among nearly every country worldwide, those who own a smartphone are much more likely to access social networks; 49% of smartphone owners used social networking apps in 2012.


EU-5

FRANCE

millions

Top 10 Social Network Sites Among Internet Users inFrance, Ranked by Unique Visitors, Dec 2012

1. Facebook34.3

2. Skyrock8.6

3. Twitter5.6

4. LinkedIn4.4

5. Viadeo3.7

6. Trombi.com3.6

7. Tumblr2.6

8. Copains d'avant2.6

9. Badoo2.5

10. Nomao2.0

Note: ages 6+Source: comScore Media Metrix, "2013 France Digital Future in Focus,"March 4, 2013156198 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks eMarketer estimates 53.0% of internet users in France will actively use Facebook in 2013—a relatively low percentage for a developed nation. At 38.0%, only Germany ranks lower among the EU-5 in terms of number of Facebook users. According to comScore Media Metrix, Facebook was the No. 1 social network in France in December 2012, with almost four times as many visitors as the second most popular site, Skyrock. Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are also moderately popular and frequently round off the lists of the top five social networks in the country.

Skyrock is France’s homegrown social network. The site is a profile-based social network geared toward music. While Skyrock poses no threat to Facebook, it consistently ranks among the nation’s top social networks.

Usage Just 35.9% of France’s population will use social networks in 2013, eMarketer forecasts. Italy is the only country in the EU-5 with a lower penetration rate, at 32.6%. Among internet users in France, 57.0% will use social networks this year. Despite the relatively low penetration rate, the number of social networkers in France is not expected to grow dramatically. eMarketer estimates growth will be a moderate 7.6% this year, slowing to 2.8% in 2017. This growth rate is far behind many developing nations but is almost twice that forecast for the US this year (4.0%).

Social network users skew much younger in France than in most developed nations. According to an October 2012 study from Ofcom, 82% of internet users ages 18 to 24 used social networks. This number fell significantly to 51% for internet users ages 35 to 44, 41% for 45- to 54-year-olds and 35% for adults 55 and older. Most developed nations do not see these numbers fall as drastically for older generations.

In France, social networkers are not very engaged. An August 2012 study by the Internet Society (ISOC) discovered 66% of internet users accessed social media at least once a week, with 42% using it daily—placing the country as one of the least likely to use social media among the 20 countries surveyed worldwide. Largely confirming this finding, a Q4 2012 study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users in France spent 1.03 hours on social networks and 16.8 minutes on microblogs daily, amounting to respective shares of 23% and 6% of total time spent online per day. France ranked 28th out of the 31 countries surveyed.

Advertising Internet users in France are unlikely to interact with brands on social media. According to a November 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, just 15% of internet users in the country indicated that they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network, and only 18% of respondents regularly checked brands’ social network pages. A June 2012 survey conducted by ExactTarget suggests deeper engagement, with 43% of internet users in France claiming to be fans of brands on Facebook.


Not surprisingly, younger adults in the country are more likely to follow brands. ExactTarget found 68% of internet users ages 18 to 24 had “liked” brands on Facebook. This number fell to 42% for respondents in the 35-to-44 age bracket and 27% for adults 55 to 64. Among the respondents who had “liked” a brand, 29% reported doing so to receive discounts and money-off promotions; 28% said they had done so to keep up-to-date with products, services or offerings; and 28% chose to “like” a brand in order to receive “free stuff.”

Mobile Consumers in France are highly likely to own a mobile phone. eMarketer estimates that in 2013, 78.0% of the population will have a mobile phone, of which 45.0% will own a smartphone. But mobile social media use remains low in the country. According to Ofcom, 27% of mobile phone owners were mobile social network users in October 2012. Similarly, in spring 2012, the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project found 21% of mobile phone owners in France accessing social networks via mobile.

Still, there are signs of growth, as mobile internet users in the country expect to use social media more on their mobile phone. An October 2012 study from InMobi discovered that 38% of mobile internet users expected to use social media more in the next 12 months.

GERMANY

millions

Top 10 Social Networks Among Internet Users inGermany, Ranked by Unique Visitors, Dec 2012

1. Facebook38.6

2. XING4.2

3. StayFriends3.5

4. Twitter3.1

5. Odnoklassniki.ru2.9

6. Ask.fm2.8

7. LinkedIn2.7

8. Tumblr2.6

9. wer-kennt-wen.de2.5

10. DaWanda2.2

Note: ages 6+Source: comScore Inc., "2013 Future in Focus - Digitales Deutschland,"March 14, 2013155146 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the dominant social network in Germany. December 2012 data from comScore showed the site receiving 38.6 million unique visitors, compared with 4.2 million for XING, the second most popular social network. Still, internet users in the country turn to Facebook less than any other nation in the EU-5. eMarketer estimates 38.0% of internet users will use the social site in 2013.

Regional social networks remain popular in Germany. Depending on the source, XING, StayFriends and wer-kennt-wen.de rank among the top five social networks, frequently topping sites like Twitter and Google+. VZ-Netzwerke used to be one of the most popular social networks in the country but has since lost many of its users—no longer placing in the top 10 in many rankings.


Usage Social network penetration in Germany resembles the market in Japan, which is to basically say the country has very high internet penetration rates, but relatively few users are turning to social networks. eMarketer expects 55.6% of the country’s internet users to actively use social networks in 2013. This is the second-lowest percentage among any country we produce forecasts for. Only Japan ranks lower, at 49.4%. However, social network user growth in Germany will be relatively high this year, rising 11.1%. This number is a close second to Spain’s growth rate of 11.5%, which will be the highest in the EU-5.

Social network users in Germany are likely to be young. According to an October 2012 study from Ofcom, 79% of internet users ages 18 to 24 used social networks. This number dropped to 56% for adults 34 to 44, 45% for 45- to 54-year-olds and 39% for those 55 and older. Although the difference between younger and older generations on social media is not as great as in developing countries, it is fairly large for the EU-5. Only France had a bigger difference between younger and older generations.

In Germany, social networkers do not engage very much with social media. A study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users spent 24% of their time online social networking and 7% microblogging in Q4 2012. This comes to about 1 hour on social networks and 18 minutes on microblogs, for a total of around 1 hour and 18 minutes, the second lowest among countries surveyed. Only Japan ranked lower.

Advertising Internet users in Germany are not likely to interact with brands on social networks. In a November 2012 survey that Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor conducted, only 27% of internet users reported engaging with or following at least one brand on a social network. In addition, 24% of respondents said they regularly checked brands’ social network pages—on par with Great Britain and higher than France.

A study from ExactTarget found 39% of internet users in Germany had “liked” at least one brand on Facebook in June 2012. Younger respondents were more likely to follow brands on the social network: 64% of internet users ages 18 to 24 had done so, while only 26% and 21% of 45- to 54-year-olds and 55- to 64-year-olds, respectively, said the same.

Those who follow brands on social networks are likely to do so to receive discounts or promotions. According to a December 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 53% of internet users in Germany stayed connected with brands they followed because the brands sent them coupons for product discounts; 38% of respondents cited contests or requests for suggestions.

Mobile Mobile phone use is prevalent in Germany. eMarketer predicts 82.3% of the population will own a mobile phone in 2013. Out of these mobile phone owners, 42.0% will use a smartphone. Despite relatively high mobile phone usage, mobile social network use remains low. In spring 2012, just 15% of mobile phone owners were mobile social network users, according to the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project. Meanwhile, an October 2012 study from Ofcom discovered that 26% of mobile phone owners in Germany accessed social networks via the device. Although this number is higher than Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project’s, Ofcom’s study still placed Germany behind every country in the EU-5 for mobile social network use.

Smartphone users in Germany are more likely to access social networks on their mobile device. A February 2012 study by Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft, IAB Europe and Online-Vermarkterkreis found 61% of smartphone users in the country accessed a personal social networking site on their device. According to comScore MobiLens, the most common social media activity among smartphone users in Germany was reading status updates from friends or family, with 71% of respondents reporting this activity in July 2012. Smartphone users are more likely to interact with brands; 53% of respondents said they clicked links to other sites, 47% read status updates from brands and companies, and 30% clicked an ad link.


ITALY

% of internet users

Top 10 Social Networks in Italy, Ranked byMembership, Q2 2012

1. Facebook62%

2. LinkedIn21%

3. Twitter or platforms that use Twitter (e.g., TweetDeck)18%

4. Google+18%

5. Windows Live Spaces8%

6. Myspace7%

7. Badoo7%

8. Netlog5%

9. Pinterest3%

10. Instagram3%

Note: ages 15+Source: InSites Consulting, "Social Media Around the World 2012," Sep 24,2012146920 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks The top social networks in Italy are familiar global brands. According to InSites Consulting, Facebook is the top social network in the country, with 62% of internet users accessing the site in Q2 2012. This number is higher than eMarketer’s forecast that 55.0% of internet users in Italy will use the social network in 2013. Our estimates for Facebook users tend to be lower than other sources because we do not include certain types of accounts in the total. Growth in new Facebook users has been strong in Italy—coming in at 26.1% last year, eMarketer estimates. This number is expected to slow to 10.1% this year.

Unlike France and Germany, more mainstream sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ have largely overtaken regional social networks in Italy. These sites consistently rank among the top five in the country, but they currently pose no threat to Facebook’s lead.

Usage eMarketer projects that in 2013, 53.1% of Italy’s population will be online. This is low among countries in the EU-5 and has had a direct effect on social media use. Just 32.6% of the population will use social networks this year—the lowest percentage among any country in the EU-5. However, those who do use the internet are likely to also use social networks. eMarketer expects 61.3% of the country’s internet users to access social networks this year—higher than our estimates for both France and Germany. Growth in social networkers will be relatively high this year at 10.2%, the second-biggest increase in the EU-5.

Social network users in the country tend to be younger, but the divide between older and younger generations is not as pronounced as in Germany and France. According to a study from Ofcom, 72% of internet users in the 18-to-24 age group were social network users in October 2012. This number remains largely the same across all age ranges—falling significantly only for those 55 and over, to 48%.

In Italy, social networkers are moderately engaged. According to August 2012 data from ISOC, 62% of internet users in the country used social media daily. A study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users spent 1.55 hours on social networks and 42.6 minutes on microblogs per day, for a total of 2.3 hours in Q4 2012. This places Italy in line with the global average in the study, which also determined that social networking and microblogging accounted for 30% and 14%, respectively, of the time internet users spent online daily.

Advertising Compared with the rest of the EU-5, internet users in Italy are relatively likely to interact with brands on social networks. According to a November 2012 study conducted by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 43% of internet users indicated that they regularly checked brands’ social network pages, a percentage that was on par with Spain and almost double every other country in the EU-5. In addition, 34% of respondents said they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network.


December 2012 data from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor showed 58% of internet users in Italy wanted to stay connected to the brands they followed on social media because the brands sent them coupons; 54% of respondents cited contests or requests for suggestions regarding new products or services as the main drivers.

Mobile Similar to the rest of the EU-5, mobile phone use is common in Italy, and eMarketer expects 81.1% of the nation’s population to own a mobile phone this year. Despite high mobile penetration, mobile social network use has yet to become a mainstream activity. According to an October 2012 study that Ofcom conducted, 32% of mobile phone owners in the country used social networks on their phone. This number places Italy in the middle of the EU-5 countries in terms of mobile social network users among mobile phone users.

Smartphones are also relatively common in the country. eMarketer anticipates that in 2013, 41.0% of mobile phone owners will have a smartphone. Not surprisingly, people using smartphones are the most likely to log on to social media via mobile. According to Nielsen, 47% of smartphone users accessed social media apps in 2012.

SPAIN

% of respondents

Social Networks Used by Social Network Users in Spain, 2010-2012

2011

Facebook 95%

YouTube 57%

Twitter 34%

Tuenti 39%

Google+ 20%

Badoo 12%

LinkedIn 12%

Myspace 11%

Instagram -

Flickr 8%

hi5 5%

Pinterest -

Tumblr 1%

foursquare

2010

89%

60%

18%

44%

-

15%

5%

8%

-

-

10%

-

-

- 1%

2012

96%

64%

46%

35%

29%

12%

18%

9%

8%

6%

4%

4%

2%

2%

Note: 2010 n=548; 2011 n=725; 2012 n=781 ages 18-55Source: IAB Spain, "IV Estudio Anual de Redes Sociales" conducted byElogia, Jan 10, 2013151122 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks In 2013, 59.0% of internet users in Spain will be Facebook users, eMarketer estimates. In fact, Facebook is so popular that nearly every social user in Spain accessed the social network last year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau Spain (IAB Spain) reported. Twitter and Tuenti consistently round off the top three sites, according to a variety of sources.

Tuenti, a profile-based site similar to Facebook, was once the top social network in the country, but membership has fallen. The site now ranks third behind Facebook and Twitter.

Usage eMarketer forecasts 62.8% of internet users in Spain will have a social network account in 2013. However, social usage is still not a popular activity for the population at large: Just 41.2% of the general population will use social networks this year. Because of this, growth is expected to remain relatively high for a developed nation, at 11.5% in 2013 and slowing to 4.1% by 2017, eMarketer estimates.

Social networkers in Spain tend to be young, but the age skew is not as dramatic as in other EU-5 countries. An October 2012 survey from Ofcom determined that 76% of 18-to-24-year-old internet users accessed social networks; this dropped to 68% and 66% for adults 45 to 54 and 55 and older, respectively. By comparison, only 50% and 39% of internet users ages 55 and older were social network users in the UK and Germany, respectively.

Research by IAB Spain found social networkers in the country were more likely to be female. Its October 2012 study determined that 39% of social network users were male and 61% were female. However, data from Socialbakers.com did not indicate a gap among Facebook users, finding that 51% of Facebook users were female and 49% were male in May 2013.

Social network users in Spain are likely to use social media frequently. A Q4 2012 survey by GlobalWebIndex found internet users spent 1.52 hours social networking and just over 46 minutes microblogging per day—30% and 15%, respectively, of their time online. This is in line with the global average in the study. Meanwhile, in August 2012, ISOC found 87% of internet users surveyed accessed social media at least once a week.


Advertising Internet users in Spain are more likely to interact with brands on social media than users in the rest of the EU-5. According to November 2012 research by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 50% of internet users said they regularly checked brands’ social network pages. And 52% of respondents reported engaging with or following at least one brand on social media. In October 2012, IAB Spain found 31% of social networkers living in Spain were fans of or followed a brand on a social network.

According to a December 2012 survey conducted by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 59% of internet users in Spain stayed connected with brands they followed because the brands sent them coupons, and 52% did so because the brands had contests or requested suggestions regarding current or new products. Meanwhile, IAB Spain found the top two reasons social network users followed a brand were because they liked the brand and wanted to stay informed (64%) or because following the brand was necessary to participate in a contest (36%).

Mobile Mobile phone use is relatively high in Spain. eMarketer expects 86.1% of the country’s population will own a mobile phone in 2013, of which 47.5% will be smartphone users and 50.0% will be mobile internet users. As a result, mobile social network use is also relatively common. Ofcom found that 43% of mobile phone owners were mobile social network users in October 2012—a higher percentage than any other country in the EU-5. Meanwhile, July 2012 data from comScore showed 35.8% of mobile phone users in the nation had accessed social network sites or blogs. Only the UK was higher, with 41.8%.

A June 2012 study from IAB Spain, Google, The Cocktail Analysis and La Catedral Online de las Nuevas Tecnologías concluded that smartphone users in Spain accessed the same social networks as the country’s online social networkers: 90% of smartphone users surveyed accessed Facebook, 48% of respondents used Twitter and 36% cited Tuenti.

UNITED KINGDOM

millions

Top 10 Social Network Sites Among UK InternetUsers, Ranked by Unique Visitors, Dec 2012

1. Facebook31.8

2. Twitter10.9

3. LinkedIn7.6

4. Tumblr6.7

5. deviantART2.7

6. Pinterest2.4

7. Ask.fm2.1

8. Myspace2.0

9. Goodreads1.3

10. Steam Community1.1

Note: ages 6+; home and work locations; excludes use from publiccomputers, such as those in internet cafes, or access from mobile phonesand PDAsSource: comScore Inc., "2013 UK Digital Future in Focus," Feb 14, 2013153093 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Social network usage in the UK resembles that of the US, with Facebook holding tight to the No. 1 spot. According to comScore, the social network received 31.8 million unique visitors in December 2012. This is largely in line with eMarketer’s forecast, which estimates that in 2013, the country will have 29.9 million Facebook users. We also expect 62.5% of UK internet users to access Facebook this year. However, growth is slowing. The number of Facebook users will increase by 5.6% in 2013 and slow to 1.6% by 2017. This is the lowest growth projection in the EU-5.

Twitter consistently ranks as the second most popular social network in the UK. According to comScore, the site had 10.9 million unique visitors in December 2012. And GlobalWebIndex found 25% of internet users surveyed accessed Twitter in Q1 2013. Meanwhile, LinkedIn, Google+ and Tumblr regularly rank among the top five social networks in the country.


Usage Social network use is very common in the UK. eMarketer expects that in 2013, 67.0% of internet users will use social networks—the highest projection out of the EU-5 and on par with the US. Growth in the country’s number of social network users has slowed as the market has matured, with increases expected to come in at 6.3% this year.

UK social networkers tend to be younger, but the gap between older and younger generations is not as pronounced as it is in France and Germany. October 2012 research by Ofcom revealed that 71% of internet users in the 18-to-24 age group used social networks. This percentage dropped to 54% for users 45 to 54 and 50% for adults 50 and older. Meanwhile, Kinetic Worldwide examined Facebook users only and found 91% of internet users ages 18 to 24 had an account with the social network. The number fell to 59% for respondents in the 55-to-64 age group and 41% for adults 65 to 80.

Social network users are likely to log in frequently. In November 2012 polling by Ofcom, 72% of UK social users said they accessed social networks daily. A study from the Interactive Media in Retail Group and eDigitalResearch conducted in October 2012 found 49% of internet users used Facebook at least once per day; 14% said the same for Twitter and 16% for Google+.

GlobalWebIndex’s Q4 2012 study also confirms that UK internet users spend a large amount of time on social networks: 1.18 hours social networking and 32.4 minutes microblogging daily. These activities took up respective shares of 25% and 11% of the time users spent online each day.

Advertising Compared with the rest of the EU-5, internet users in Great Britain are moderately likely to interact with brands on social media. November 2012 research by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 35% of internet users had engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network; 23% of respondents regularly checked brands’ social network pages.

Social networkers are likely to follow brands because of offers and promotions. A February 2013 study from Kinetic Worldwide established that 88% of UK social networkers followed brands for this reason. Fifty-eight percent of respondents followed brands to find out about new products, and 35% did so because they got rewards for following.

Mobile Mobile phone use is high in the UK. eMarketer forecasts that this year, 80.1% of the country’s population will own a mobile phone. Among this group, 60.4% will use a smartphone. This is the highest amount of smartphone users as a percentage of mobile phone users among any country in the EU-5 and as a result, mobile social network use is also relatively common. October 2012 Ofcom data showed 40% of mobile phone owners were mobile social network users—putting the UK in second place in the EU-5 after Spain.

Smartphone users in the UK are the most likely to use mobile social networks. eMarketer estimates 66.0% of smartphone users will use social networks via their phone this year. And Ofcom’s November 2012 study largely confirms this, with 59% of smartphone users visiting social networking sites weekly. In addition, Nielsen data suggests that last year, 58% of smartphone users accessed social networking apps—the most popular type of app used in the UK.


LATIN AMERICA

ARGENTINA

thousands

Top 10 Social Networking Sites Among Internet Usersin Argentina, Ranked by Unique Visitors, June 2012

1. Facebook12,594

2. LinkedIn2,759

3. Twitter2,624

4. Myspace672

5. Badoo661

6. Tumblr624

7. deviantART623

8. Sonico461

9. Scribd430

10. Bligoo384

Note: ages 15+; home and work locations; excludes traffic from publiccomputers such as internet cafes and access from mobile phones andPDAsSource: comScore Media Metrix, "Futuro Digital - Argentina 2012," Sep 4,2012145182 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks The most popular social network in Argentina is Facebook, with nearly six times as many unique visitors as the No. 2 site, LinkedIn, in June 2012, according to comScore Media Metrix. eMarketer estimates 65.0% of the country’s internet users will use Facebook in 2013.

Facebook growth in Argentina is high compared with most developed nations; however, it falls far behind rates seen in Mexico and Brazil. This year, Facebook users in Argentina will increase by 14.3%, eMarketer projects. By comparison, Facebook user growth will reach 48.5% in Brazil and 22.1% in Mexico.

Usage Internet use is higher in Argentina than in both Brazil and Mexico and as a result, more of the country’s population uses social networks. eMarketer estimates that in 2013, 58.7% of Argentina’s population will be online and expects 41.7% of its residents to use social networks.

Nearly three-quarters (71.0%) of people in Argentina with internet access will use social networks this year—the seventh-highest penetration rate worldwide. Because social use is nearing saturation among the country’s internet users, growth has started to slow in comparison with neighboring Brazil and Mexico. New user growth in Argentina will reach 11.5% in 2013 and fall below 10% next year.

Engagement on social networks is high in Argentina. According to November 2012 figures from comScore Media Metrix, social networkers spent more time on such properties than users in any other country—9.8 hours. A separate study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users spent 2.7 hours social networking and nearly 1 hour microblogging per day in Q4 2012. While these numbers are much higher than comScore’s, the survey placed Argentina fifth among the 31 countries surveyed. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Advertising Social network users in Argentina are highly engaged with brands. In a November 2012 study conducted by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 64% of internet users in the country indicated that they regularly checked brands’ pages, and 54% said they engaged with or followed at least one brand. A March 2012 survey from the same sources found 66% of internet users had clicked on an ad they saw on a social network. This is most striking because social users in Argentina were more likely to click on an ad on a social network than internet users in any other country besides Indonesia. In both of these studies, internet users are nearly as likely to interact with a brand on social media as they are to belong to a social network, indicating that whether or not they have an account, internet users are likely interacting with brands via social.

Consumers’ motivations for following brands on social media mirror those in most other countries. February 2012 research by Carrier y Asociados discovered that 81% of social networkers surveyed followed brands for rebates and promotions and 72% for product launches.


Mobile Mobile phone use is high in Argentina, with 81.0% of the country’s population expected to own this device type in 2013, eMarketer estimates. But the majority of these phones are prepaid with no internet connection. A study from Informa Telecoms & Media determined only 19% of mobile phone owners in the country were using a smartphone in Q4 2012. Because of this, mobile social network use is not very common.

Smartphone use in Argentina is expected to remain limited in the near future. However, those who do own a smartphone are likely to actively use mobile social media. In Q2 2012, 83% of smartphone owners in the country accessed social media on their phone daily, according to InSites Consulting. Furthermore, a March 2012 study from Google found 91% of smartphone owners logged on to mobile social networks at least monthly.

BRAZIL

Top 10 Social Networks Among Internet Users in Brazil,Ranked by Market Share of Visits, April 2013

1. Facebook66.54%

2. YouTube18.48%

3. orkut2.20%

4. Ask.fm2.10%

5. Yahoo! Answers Brazil1.80%

6. Twitter1.75%

7. Badoo1.05%

8. Bate-papo UOL0.84%

9. Google+0.78%

10. Windows Live Home0.57%

Source: Serasa Experian Hitwise as cited in press release, May 21, 2013158062 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks orkut was once the most popular social network in Brazil, but Facebook has since taken the top spot. A study from F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi found the percentage of internet users accessing orkut fell from 78% in April 2011 to 57% in April 2012. Experian Marketing Services (formerly Serasa Experian Hitwise) placed the site third in April 2013.

Meanwhile, Facebook has seen explosive growth in Brazil. The number of users on the site will increase by 48.5% this year, eMarketer estimates, after surging 65.2% in 2012—the second-fastest user growth in the world for both years. Twitter is also popular; GlobalWebIndex found 26% of internet users in the country belonged to the site in Q1 2013.

Usage Nearly four out of five internet users in Brazil access social networks, a proportion that is higher than any other country in the world, save for Indonesia. eMarketer expects 79.0% of the nation’s internet users will have a social network account in 2013. Growth of new users peaked in 2011 but will still register an 18.4% increase this year, eMarketer estimates.

However, a large portion of Brazil’s population is not online, especially in rural areas. eMarketer estimates 49.3% of the population will be online in 2013, placing the country in line with many other developing markets like Mexico and China. But internet users who are online are so likely to be using social networks that 39% of the population is expected to have an account this year. While this penetration rate is lower than Argentina’s, it is ahead of most developing countries as well as some developed nations like Japan and France, where internet use is high but social network use is relatively low.

Social network users in Brazil are highly engaged and likely to spend a large amount of time on social media. A November 2012 study by comScore Media Metrix found social networkers in the country spent 9.7 hours on social media—the second-highest amount worldwide behind Argentina. A study from GlobalWebIndex largely confirms this finding. According to its research, internet users in Brazil spent 2.7 hours social networking and 1 hour microblogging daily in Q4 2012. These two activities took up 43% and 16%, respectively, of the time internet users spent online each day—figures on par with Argentina. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)


Keeping up with social network users in Brazil is no easy feat. They are likely to have accounts on multiple sites and use them regularly. In Q2 2012, InSites Consulting found 64% belonged to three or more sites—higher than any other country surveyed.

Advertising Social networkers in Brazil are likely to interact with brands and as a result, they expect brands to be active and responsive as well. According to April 2012 polling by Arnold Worldwide, 68% of internet users in the country had posted online comments about their experience with a brand, and 83% expected brands to respond to their comments. In a November 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 62% of internet users indicated that they engaged with or followed brands on a social network, and 70% regularly checked brands’ social network pages.

Mobile eMarketer estimates 71.0% of Brazil’s population will own a mobile device in 2013. However, mobile social network use remains a niche activity, largely due to the fact that smartphone and mobile internet use is limited. Only 20.8% of mobile phone owners will own a smartphone in 2013, yet mobile internet use is expected to grow rapidly in the country over the next five years. eMarketer forecasts almost 60% of the population will access the internet via mobile in 2017—up from 26.4% this year. As mobile internet usage grows, mobile social network use is likely to follow, and it is already popular among those who currently have smartphones. InSites Consulting found 80% of smartphone owners in Brazil were accessing social media on their phone daily in Q2 2012.

Mobile social network users in Brazil are likely to access the same sites as online users. An April 2012 study from F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi concluded Facebook was the most popular mobile social network in the country, with 63% of mobile internet users saying they accessed the site. MSN and orkut rounded out the top three mobile social networks.

For more information, see eMarketer’s June 2013 report, “Brazil Social Media: The Mobile Middle Class Goes Social.”

MEXICO

% of respondents

Social Networks Used by Social Network Users in Mexico, 2011 & 2012

2011

Facebook 94%

Twitter 45%

hi5 39%

Google+ -

Myspace 28%

metroFLOG 19%

Sonico 19%

Blogger 11%

Fotolog 8%

LinkedIn 5%

Flickr 6%

foursquare 1%

Pinterest -

2012

96%

58%

35%

33%

26%

17%

17%

11%

8%

7%

6%

4%

4%

Note: 2011 n=977 ages 12+; 2012 n=1,008 ages 13-70; who are registeredon a social networkSource: Interactive Advertising Bureau México (IAB México), "Estudio deconsumo de medios entre internautas mexicanos" conducted by MillwardBrown, Jan 29, 2013152005 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks eMarketer estimates that 63.2% of internet users in Mexico will use Facebook at least once per month this year, making it the most popular social network in the country. In fact, nearly every social network user in Mexico has a Facebook account. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau México (IAB México), 96% of social networkers used Facebook in 2012. Twitter came in second with 58% of social network users, and hi5 was third, with 35%.

hi5 is a social networking and social gaming site that has remained relatively popular in Mexico. The site consistently ranks among the top five social networks. In 2011, hi5 was purchased by Tagged, a social discovery website. As a result, the site made a variety of changes in early 2012. Some of the biggest included allowing more profile customization, changing the games offered and adding more social discovery features.

Usage Sixty-eight percent of internet users in Mexico will use social networks in 2013, eMarketer estimates. Growth remains very high: The number of social networkers in Mexico rose by 28.4% in 2012 and will see a 20.6% increase this year. However, more than half of the country’s residents do not have internet access, which means only 33.0% of the population will actively use social networks.




Those in Mexico who can access social networks are likely to be young. A study from the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project found 63% of 18- to 29-year-olds were social network users in April 2012. This number fell to 29% for adults 30 to 49 and 7% for those 50 and older. Facebook users are also very young. Socialbakers.com determined that 79% were less than 35 years old in May 2013.

Social networkers in Mexico are highly engaged. According to GlobalWebIndex, internet users spent 2.59 hours per day on social networks and 1.05 hours on microblogs in Q4 2012, for a daily total of 3.64 hours of social activity—the sixth-highest amount among the 31 countries in the survey and roughly twice the level reported in the US. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

November 2012 comScore Media Metrix data showed a much lower level of activity but also positioned Mexico as one of the most engaged countries worldwide. According to its figures, social network users spent 7 hours and 30 minutes on social media sites, placing the country 10th worldwide. Those who were younger were likely to spend the most amount of time on social networks. Another study from comScore found social networkers ages 15 to 25 spent an average of nearly 12 hours per visit in May 2012, compared with almost 5 hours for those ages 45 to 54.

Advertising Internet users in Mexico seem relatively open to the idea of engaging with brands on social networks. A November 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 56% of internet users engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network, and 72% of respondents said they regularly checked brands’ social network pages. The latter number is actually higher than eMarketer’s social network user penetration numbers, possibly indicating internet users are interacting with brands without having a social network account. In fact, a May 2012 study by AMIPCI (Asociación Mexicana de Internet) and ELOGIA revealed that social network users typically enjoyed social media advertising, with 53% of respondents saying they liked ads on social networks. Just 17% of social networkers disliked ads on the sites, and 29% were neutral.

Social network users follow brands for a variety of reasons. A 2012 study from IAB México found 87% of social networkers who followed brands did so to stay up to date. In addition, 56% followed brands for special promotions. Meanwhile, a December 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor discovered that 53% of internet users in Mexico wanted to stay connected to the brands they followed on social media because the brands had contests or requests for suggestions. Nearly half (49%) said they followed brands because they posted fun and interesting topics/items.

Mobile Mobile phone use is very low in Mexico. eMarketer projects that 58.0% of the population will own a mobile phone in 2013. The only country with a lower penetration rate among countries for which we have estimates is India. As a result, mobile social network use is also relatively uncommon. However, those with a mobile internet connection are likely to access mobile social media. According to a May 2012 study from The Competitive Intelligence Unit, 85% of mobile internet users in Mexico used their mobile phone for social networking.

Smartphone use is also uncommon in the country, and eMarketer projects just 39.0% of mobile phone owners will have a smartphone this year. But like mobile internet users in general, smartphone owners are very active on mobile social networks. A March 2012 study from Google found 73% of smartphone users in Mexico accessed social networks daily on their phone. Only 5% of respondents said they never visited a social network via mobile.

For more information, see eMarketer’s July 2012 report, “Social Networking in Mexico: Bringing the Plaza Online.”



MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

EGYPT

% of respondents

Internet Users in Egypt Who Use Select Social MediaSites, Dec 2012

Facebook 78%

Twitter 17%

LinkedIn2%

Note: monthly usersSource: Ipsos MediaCT, "Ipsos Online Audience Measurement in the ArabWorld," Feb 28, 2013158003 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is by far the most popular social network in Egypt. According to a December 2012 study conducted by Ipsos MediaCT, the social network has more than four times as many users as Twitter—78% vs. 17%. However, much of the population does not have access to the internet. Ipsos MediaCT’s study found that just 25% of Egypt’s urban population was online. Similarly, February 2013 data from Northwestern University in Qatar and Harris Interactive showed 22% of those surveyed used the internet.

Because of these low internet penetration rates, Facebook and Twitter use is relatively uncommon throughout Egypt. Polling by the Dubai School of Government found 13.1% of the country’s population using Facebook in June 2012—placing Egypt 15th among countries in the Middle East. Twitter use was also low, with less than 1% of the country’s residents accessing the social network.

Usage Those with internet access are highly likely to use social media. According to the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, 82% of internet users in Egypt were using social networks in spring 2012. Similarly, Ipsos MediaCT found that in 2012, 79% of residents who had online access were social network users. Among the Middle Eastern countries included in the study, only Jordan had a higher rate.

Social users are younger, but because internet penetration is so low, even much of Egypt’s youth does not have access to social networks. According to April 2012 polling by the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, just 50% of those in the 18-to-29 age range were social networkers. Only three of the 21 countries surveyed had lower penetration rates among this age group. Social network use quickly dropped to 22% of adults 30 to 49 and 18% of those 50 and older.

Facebook users are also overwhelmingly young. Data from Socialbakers.com showed 57% of Facebook users in Egypt were 24 years old or younger in May 2013. Men were also more likely to have an account on Facebook than women. A June 2012 study from the Dubai School of Government determined that 65% of Facebook users were male and 35% were female. Meanwhile, more recent data from Socialbakers.com showed this has remained largely unchanged; 64% of Facebook users were male and 36% were female in May 2013.

Mobile According to a spring 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Project, mobile phone use is relatively common in Egypt, with 76% of the population owning a mobile phone. However, mobile social media use is not nearly as common, and just 27% of respondents said they accessed social networks via mobile.

Smartphone users in Egypt are the most likely to access mobile social media. March 2012 polling by Google discovered that 54% of smartphone owners had accessed a social network on the device. However, relatively few mobile phone users are smartphone owners. The Arab Advisors Group found just 8.4% of mobile phone users were smartphone users in 2012. As a result, mobile social network use will most likely remain a niche activity.


SAUDI ARABIA

% of respondents

Internet Users in Saudi Arabia Who Use Select SocialMedia Sites, Q1 2013

Facebook 76%

Twitter 60%

Google+ 45%

LinkedIn9%

Pinterest3%

Note: ages 16-64; used or contributed in the past monthSource: GlobalWebIndex, "Stream Social: Quarterly Social Platforms UpdateQ1 2013," April 26, 2013158000 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the most popular social network in Saudi Arabia and is growing rapidly. According to a Q1 2013 GlobalWebIndex survey, 76% of internet users in the country had used or contributed to the site in the past month, and the number of Facebook users grew around 18.5% between Q2 2012 and Q1 2013. But December 2012 data from Ipsos MediaCT suggests lower engagement rates, with 59% of internet users in Saudi Arabia accessing Facebook.

Twitter is the second most popular social network in Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to accurately sum up the Twitter market because usage data is inconsistent. According to Q1 2013 data from GlobalWebIndex, 60% of internet users in Saudi Arabia actively used Twitter, nearly double the percentage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Northwestern University in Qatar and Harris Interactive also found heavy Twitter usage, if not quite as high as GlobalWebIndex, reporting that 65% of social network users were Twitter users in February 2013. In addition, a December 2012 survey by Ipsos MediaCT found 33% of internet users accessing Twitter.

Usage Unlike much of the Middle East, internet use is relatively common in Saudi Arabia. According to a study from Ipsos MediaCT, 60% of the country’s population was online in December 2012, on par with Kuwait and Qatar. Only the UAE had a significantly higher rate. As a result, a relatively high portion of the country’s population is using social media. Ipsos MediaCT found 68% of internet users in Saudi Arabia accessed social networks in 2012.

The only available demographic data for Saudi Arabia is for Facebook users, but since Facebook is the top social network, the numbers offer some insight into the social media landscape as a whole. A June 2012 survey conducted by the Dubai School of Government found Facebook users in Saudi Arabia were more likely to be male than female, at 69% vs. 31%. Facebook users are also very likely to be much younger than those in most other countries worldwide. According to Socialbakers.com, 80% of Facebook users in Saudi Arabia were under 35 years old in May 2013.

Social networkers in Saudi Arabia are some of the most engaged in the world. A Q4 2012 study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users spent 2.39 hours social networking and 1.45 hours microblogging daily, for a total of 3.84 hours of time spent online each day. To put this into context, internet users in Saudi Arabia spent more time on social networks than all but two of the 31 countries surveyed. Combined, these activities took up more than half of the time internet users spent online per day.

Advertising With internet users in Saudi Arabia spending so much time on social networks, it is no surprise they are likely to interact with brands as well. In a November 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 60% of those online indicated that they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network, and 64% of respondents regularly checked brands’ social network pages. This number is on par with eMarketer’s social network user penetration figures, possibly indicating internet users in the country are interacting with brands on social media even if they do not have an account with a social network.

A December 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 50% of internet users in Saudi Arabia wanted to stay connected to the brands they followed on social media because the brands had contests or requests for suggestions. Some 49% cited brands sending them coupons as a driver as well. These responses were on par with social network users worldwide who followed brands.


Mobile Data about mobile phone use is mixed, but many sources show smartphone use in Saudi Arabia to be very high. Two studies indicate smartphone use may have bypassed standard mobile phones. A study from Northwestern University in Qatar and Harris Interactive found 74% of wireless device owners were smartphone owners in February 2013. Just 7% of wireless device owners said they had a mobile phone that wasn’t a smartphone. Data from Ipsos MediaCT also showed smartphone use to be very high, with 63% of the population owning one in 2012.

Meanwhile, Informa Telecoms & Media determined 31% of mobile phone connections in the country were smartphone connections in Q4 2012. Although lower, this study still placed Saudi Arabia on par with many developed nations—and ahead of Germany and Spain. However, the country has many more mobile phone connections than it does people, which could be why Informa Telecoms & Media’s number is lower than the other studies. According to Madar Research & Development, there were 53.7 million mobile phone connections in 2011—a penetration rate of 189.2% of the nation’s population.

Because smartphone use is so high in Saudi Arabia, mobile social network use largely resembles social media use among internet users. A March 2012 study from Google found 60% of smartphone owners had accessed a social network on the device.

SOUTH AFRICA

% of respondents

Internet Users in South Africa Who Use Select SocialMedia Sites, Q1 2013

Facebook 82%

Google+ 46%

Twitter 34%

LinkedIn 26%

Pinterest7%


Social Networks Facebook is the top social network in South Africa, with 82% of internet users actively using it in Q1 2013, according to GlobalWebIndex. This was an increase of around 11.4% over Q2 2012, giving South Africa the 10th-highest growth rate worldwide. Data from South Africa’s Digital Media & Marketing Association (DMMA) also placed Facebook on top, with 88% of internet users actively using the site in October 2012.

Twitter and Google+ round off the top three social networks. Data about Twitter usage varies. On the low end of available data, a study by GlobalWebIndex found 34% of internet users in South Africa used Twitter in Q1 2013, placing it behind Google+. In contrast, October 2012 research from DMMA discovered 50% of internet users accessing the site.

Usage Internet use is relatively low in South Africa. Data from the South African Network Society Project (SANSS) at the University of Witwatersrand showed just 33% of the country’s population was online in 2012. As a result, many residents cannot access social media. Yet those with internet access are highly likely to use social networks. SANSS found 75% of internet users had a social network account in 2012. Most surprisingly, the study also discovered social networking was more popular than email: In 2012, just 66% of internet users in the nation had an email address.

Demographic data for social networkers is sparse, but looking at Facebook demographics gives an indication of the overall landscape. According to Socialbakers.com, Facebook use in South Africa was evenly split by gender, with 50% of males and females having accounts on the site in May 2013. Facebook users skew young, but less so than those in the Middle East. Socialbakers.com found 31% of Facebook users in the country were ages 18 to 24, 31% were 25 to 34 and 14% were 35 to 44.

Those who are able to access social networks are highly engaged and spend a large amount of their time on social sites. According to GlobalWebIndex, internet users in South Africa spent 1.97 hours on social networks and 45.6 minutes on microblogs per day in Q4 2012. Social networking and microblogging took respective shares of 30% and 12% of the total time internet users spent online daily.


Advertising Since internet users in South Africa spend a large amount of their time using social networks, it is no surprise that they are also likely to engage with brands there. According to a November 2012 study that Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor conducted, 49% of internet users in the country said they regularly checked brands’ pages, and 58% of respondents engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network. Meanwhile, an October 2012 study from DMMA found 72% of social network users had followed brands. It is important to note DMMA’s number was only among social networkers.

In South Africa, internet users’ reasons for following brands on social media largely mirror the rest of the world. A December 2012 study from Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor found 59% of internet users wanted to stay connected to the brands they followed on social media because the brands had contests or requested suggestions; 56% of respondents said that the brands created content worth sharing, and 46% wanted to because the brands posted fun and interesting topics/items.

Mobile Most studies find that mobile phone use is relatively common in South Africa. According to Wireless Intelligence, 66% of the population owned a mobile phone in 2012. But smartphone use is much less prevalent. Data from Informa Telecoms & Media showed 18% of mobile connections in the country were on smartphones in Q4 2012.

Smartphone use has consistently been a strong indicator of mobile social network use worldwide. But with relatively few smartphone connections in the country, social use via mobile is most likely a niche activity among people who are able to afford pricier smartphones.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

% of respondents

Internet Users in the United Arab Emirates Who UseSelect Social Media Sites, Q1 2013

Facebook 78%

Google+ 40%

LinkedIn 31%

Pinterest 28%

Twitter8%


Social Networks As in much of the Middle East, Facebook is the top social network in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to GlobalWebIndex, 78% of internet users in the UAE accessed the site in Q1 2013. In addition, Facebook users grew nearly 10.4% between Q2 2012 and Q1 2013. Google+ and Twitter round off the top three social networks in the country.

The UAE’s population is more likely to be online than in any other country in the Middle East: 71% of the nation’s residents were online in December 2012, according to Ipsos MediaCT. As a result, a significant portion of the population is using social media; the Dubai School of Government found 40.6% of people in the UAE were accessing Facebook in June 2012. Only Israel ranked higher.

Usage According to a study from Ipsos MediaCT, 73% of internet users in the UAE were social networkers in 2012. Although this was behind Egypt (79%) and Jordan (88%), the UAE’s high internet penetration rate means much more of its population was actually accessing social networks.


There is limited demographic data for social networkers in the UAE. However, Facebook demographic data gives an indication of the overall landscape. A June 2012 study by the Dubai School of Government found males were more likely to be Facebook users than females, at 67% vs. 33%. This trend is common throughout the Middle East. Facebook users were also likely to be young, but not as young as users in Egypt. In fact, 48% of Facebook users in the UAE were in the 25-to-34 age range in May 2013, according to data from Socialbakers.com. This is similar to Saudi Arabia, where 43% of Facebook users were in the same age group. Meanwhile, the majority of Facebook users in Egypt were under 25 years old.

Social network users in the UAE are highly engaged and likely to spend a significant amount of time on social media. According to Q4 2012 data from GlobalWebIndex, internet users spent 2.35 hours on social networks and nearly 1 hour on microblogs per day, adding up to 48% of daily time spent online. While this is not as much time as internet users in Saudi Arabia, it still places the UAE in the top third of the 31 countries included in the survey.

Mobile As in Saudi Arabia, smartphone use in the UAE may have exceeded mobile phone use. A study from Northwestern University in Qatar and Harris Interactive determined that 82% of wireless device owners in the country had a smartphone in February 2013. Data from Ipsos MediaCT showed 61% of the population owned a smartphone in 2012.

Because smartphone use is so high in the country, mobile social network use largely mirrors online social network use. March 2012 data from Google found 68% of smartphone users had accessed a social network via their phone.

NORDIC COUNTRIES

DENMARK

% of respondents

Social Media Sites Used by Social Media Users in Denmark, April 2013

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Google+

Twitter

Instagram

Myspace

Flickr

Pinterest

Created account

93%

41%

39%

28%

20%

12%

6%

5%

5%

Used in the past month

92%

36%

66%

21%

15%

10%

2%

4%

4%

Note: ages 15-74Source: YouGov, "Sociale medier 2013: Danskernes holdning til og brug afsociale medier," April 30, 2013158067 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the top social network in Denmark, with Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn following as the other top sites. eMarketer estimates that in 2013, 57.2% of internet users will access Facebook. Like the rest of the region, Facebook growth in the country remains strong. eMarketer expects the country’s user numbers to increase by 8.7% this year.

Usage Social penetration is high in Denmark, and 56.0% of its population will use social networks in 2013, eMarketer estimates. Growth will mirror increases throughout the region, with Denmark expected to see a 9.1% rise in social network user totals this year.

Facebook users, and presumably, social networkers, are almost equally split by gender in Denmark, at 48% male vs. 52% female, according to Socialbakers.com in May 2013. Facebook users are also likely to be younger, but not as drastically as is seen in most countries worldwide. Socialbakers.com found 53% of Facebook users were 35 and under.


Advertising Like those accessing social networks in most of the Nordic countries, social network users in Denmark are unlikely to interact with advertising on social media. A February 2012 study from Mindshare Denmark found just 18.8% of Facebook users in the country had clicked on an ad. Social networkers are also skeptical of targeted ads on social media, with 64.2% of survey respondents saying they did not think it was OK for Facebook to use profile information to make ads more relevant.

However, social network users in Denmark do not dislike brands on Facebook entirely. Mindshare Denmark also found 65.3% of Facebook users thought it was nice when companies were active on Facebook.

Mobile eMarketer estimates 86.2% of Denmark’s population will own a mobile phone in 2013, which means the country’s mobile phone penetration rate is on par with the rest of the Nordic region. As a result, mobile social network use is also high. A study from Statistics Denmark found 60% of mobile phone users were accessing social media on their phone in May 2012.

Smartphone user penetration among Denmark’s population will be 48.3% this year, eMarketer estimates. However, smartphone users are not necessarily more likely than mobile phone owners to access social media on their phone. A March 2012 study from Google found 63% of smartphone users in the country had logged on to social networks via their device.

FINLAND

Facebook Users and Penetration in Finland, 2011-2017

Facebook users(millions)

—% change

—% of socialnetwork users

—% of internet users—% of population

2011

2.2

18.7%

90.6%

48.1%42.3%

2012

2.5

10.4%

90.3%

52.5%46.7%

2013

2.7

8.8%

90.1%

56.4%50.8%

2014

2.8

5.9%

89.7%

59.0%53.7%

2015

3.0

4.9%

89.4%

61.2%56.3%

2016

3.1

3.4%

89.2%

63.3%58.3%

2017

3.2

2.6%

89.0%

65.0%59.8%

Note: internet users who access their Facebook account via any device atleast once per monthSource: eMarketer, April 2013155868 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the most popular social network in Finland. eMarketer estimates 56.4% of the country’s internet users will access the social network in 2013. Growth remains relatively high and on par with much of the Nordic region, with the number of users expected to increase 8.8% this year.

Unlike much of the Nordic region, internet users in Finland still turn to local social sites. According a March 2013 article from Yle, the country’s national broadcasting company, Suomi24 is the second most popular social network, with 1.7 million registered users—just behind Facebook’s 2 million users. IRC-Galleria is the third most popular social network in the nation, with 451,000 registered users—and around 200,000 of those users visiting weekly. In a country with 5.4 million people, these user numbers represent a large portion of the population.

Usage eMarketer forecasts 56.3% of Finland’s population will be social networkers this year. While this number is on par with Denmark and is still very high globally, it falls behind Norway’s and Sweden’s. A study from Statistics Finland largely confirms eMarketer’s estimate. According to the survey, 50% of the country’s inhabitants were registered on a social network in 2012. Meanwhile, growth in social network users will be on par with the region, at 9.0% this year and falling to 2.8% in 2017.

The demographics of social networkers in Finland mirror trends seen throughout the Nordic region. They are younger, but not as overwhelmingly young compared with many developing countries. Research by Statistics Finland found more than 80% of 16- to 24-year-olds in the country accessed social networks at least weekly in 2012. This number fell to 31% and 7% for the 45-to-54 and 65-to-74 age groups, respectively.

Like social network users in Sweden, those in Finland do not spend an overwhelming amount of time on social media. A study from Statistics Finland determined just 34% of the population visited a social network daily in 2012. But Facebook users are slightly more engaged. Results from an August 2012 study by Omnicom Media Group Finland revealed 63% of Facebook users spent 1 hour or less on the social network per day, of which 18% spent fewer than 10 minutes.


Advertising In Finland, social network users are quite likely to interact with brands on social channels. According to IAB Europe data from February 2012, 70% of social networkers in the country had “liked” or become a fan of a brand. Residents who use Facebook are also likely to click ads on the social network. In August 2012, Omnicom Media Group Finland found 47% of Facebook users surveyed had clicked on an ad displayed on the site.

Mobile eMarketer expects just under 90% of Finland’s population to own a mobile phone in 2013. This is one of the highest penetration rates in the world, so it might come as a surprise that mobile social network use is relatively low compared with other Nordic countries. Findings from a Statistics Finland survey showed 53% of mobile internet users logged on to social networks on their mobile phone in 2012. And according to March 2012 polling by Google, 41% of smartphone owners had used their phone to access social networks. By comparison, Google found more than 60% of people with smartphones in Denmark, Norway and Sweden were mobile social network users.

Smartphone adoption is also much lower in Finland than in the rest of the Nordic countries—likely an important factor in the relatively low level of mobile social use. Half of the mobile phone users in Finland will own smartphones this year, compared with 63.7% in Norway. However, it is important to note that Finland’s numbers are only low in relation to the Nordic region. Compared with most other countries, the nation’s smartphone and mobile social network penetration rates are not low.

NORWAY

thousandsSocial Network Users in Norway, by Site, Oct 2012

Facebook

Spotify

LinkedIn

Twitter

Google+

Instagram

Wimp.com

Flickr

Myspace

Daily users

1,878

289

42

161

81

161

75

17

5

Total users

2,732

923

728

683

640

365

334

122

118

Note: ages 18+Source: Ipsos MMI, "webomnibus uke 39-40" as cited in press release, Oct 29, 2012149509 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks Facebook is the top social network in Norway, and eMarketer estimates 67.5% of the country’s internet users will access the site in 2013. Growth remains strong, especially considering how high Facebook penetration already is. This year, the number of Facebook users is expected to increase 7.7%.

Facebook users in Norway are likely to use the site frequently. According to an October 2012 study from Ipsos MMI, around 1.9 million social networkers logged on to Facebook daily. This greatly surpassed other major social networks like Twitter and Instagram, which both saw 161,000 visits per day.

Usage Almost every person in Norway is an internet user. eMarketer expects 94.0% of the country’s population to be online in 2013, of which 73.6% will be social networkers. In fact, social network usage is more common in Norway than in any other country in the world except the Netherlands. Despite high penetration, social network user growth will remain relatively high at 8.0% this year.


A May 2012 study from Statistics Norway found female internet users were more likely than male internet users to use social media—68% vs. 59%. Social media users in Norway also skew younger, but not as drastically as many other countries worldwide. The survey found almost every teen and young adult in the nation was on a social site, with 96% of internet users ages 16 to 24 accessing social media in the past three months. Older users were less likely to be social users: 51% of adults 45 to 54 and 41% of 55- to 64-year-olds.

Mobile Mobile adoption is very high in Norway, and eMarketer expects 91.0% of the population to own a mobile phone in 2013. Those who have one are likely to use social media frequently. A study from TNS Gallup Norway found 36% of internet users accessed social media on their mobile phone daily in Q4 2012. Meanwhile, according to Q1 2012 polling by Eurostat, 66% of mobile internet users logged on to social networks on their phone.

Smartphone use is also very high, and 58.0% of people in Norway will own one this year, eMarketer estimates. Only South Korea will have a higher penetration rate. Not surprisingly, smartphone users are very likely to use mobile social networks. March 2012 research by Google discovered 67% of smartphone owners in Norway had accessed social media via the device.

SWEDEN

% of respondents

Internet Users in Sweden Who Use Select SocialMedia Sites, Q1 2013

Facebook 72%

Google+ 17%

Twitter 10%

LinkedIn6%

Pinterest2%


Social Networks Facebook is the most popular social network in Sweden, with 72% of internet users in the country accessing the site in Q1 2013, according to GlobalWebIndex. This was more than four times as high as the next closest social network, Google+. Meanwhile, eMarketer projects 62.4% of people who use the internet in Sweden will be Facebook users in 2013—a gain of 8.1% over 2012.

Usage Like Norway, Sweden’s residents are extremely likely to use social networks. eMarketer forecasts 64.5% of the country’s population and 68.6% of internet users will be social networkers this year. Data from Stiftelsen for Internetinfrastruktur was similar, showing that 64% of Sweden’s population accessed social networks 2012.

Social network users in Sweden are likely to be younger, but compared with much of the world, older generations are much more likely to use social networks. According to a February 2012 study from Com Hem AB, 71% of internet users born in the 1980s or later said they accessed social media several times a day. This number fell to 57% for respondents born between 1950 and 1970 and 39% for those born in the 1940s or earlier.

Internet users in Sweden are moderately engaged with social media. A study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users in the country spent 1.22 hours social networking and 17.4 minutes microblogging daily in Q4 2012. While this is certainly a decent amount of time, users in many other countries were found to spend many more hours on activities. In fact, internet users in Sweden spent some of the least amount of time on social networks out of the 31 global countries included in the study.

Advertising Internet users in Sweden are relatively unlikely to interact with brands on social networks. According to November 2012 polling by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 38% of the country’s internet users had engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network. This was on par with neighboring European countries such as Great Britain and Italy but behind developing countries like Brazil and China. In addition, 30% of respondents said they regularly checked brands’ social network pages.


Mobile Mobile use is very high in Sweden and as a result, so is mobile social network use. eMarketer expects that in 2013, 82.2% of the country’s population will own a mobile phone.

Smartphone use is also high, and just over half of the nation’s inhabitants will own one this year, eMarketer estimates. Smartphone users are highly likely to be mobile social network users, and Sweden is no exception, with 72% of smartphone owners using social media on their phone, according to March 2012 data from Google. Among Nordic countries, Sweden has the highest smartphone penetration rate. However, after powerful growth in 2010 and 2011, uptake of social on mobile is slowing down. Stiftelsen for Internetinfrastruktur reported that the number of mobile social users as a percentage of mobile internet users rose from 42% in 2010 to 63% in 2011 but increased by just 68% last year, a sign that social usage via mobile may be nearing saturation levels.

NORTH AMERICA

CANADA

% of respondents

Social Networks Used by Internet Users in Canada,Dec 2012

Facebook 70%

YouTube 24%

Twitter 17%

Google+ 17%

LinkedIn 17%

Pinterest 14%

Myspace2%

foursquare1%

Other1%

None of the above 23%

Note: n=11,785 ages 18+Source: BrandSpark International, "2013 Canadian Shopper Study," Jan 7,2013152343 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks The social network landscape in Canada largely resembles that of the US. Facebook is the most popular site, with more than twice as many users than any other social network. eMarketer estimates 62.0% of the country’s internet users will actively use Facebook in 2013. Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest consistently round off the top five.

Pinterest is the newest social network to gain a mass audience in Canada and has seen rapid growth over the past few years. According to comScore, site usage grew 792% between Q4 2011 and Q4 2012. This growth has given the social network a relatively strong footing in Canada. In December 2012, BrandSpark International polling found 14% of internet users used Pinterest—not far behind the 17% of respondents who reported using Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. A Q1 2013 study from GlobalWebIndex placed Pinterest further behind the more established social networks: 12% of internet users, vs. 22% on Twitter and 23% on Google+.


Usage eMarketer expects 51.2% of Canada’s population to be social networkers this year. This is on par with the US and one of the highest penetration rates worldwide, trailing only the Nordic region. The country’s relatively high internet penetration rate means internet users are not significantly more likely than the general population to use social networks. eMarketer predicts 66.0% of the nation’s internet users will be social network users in 2013—in line with our global average.

Unlike the US, social network users in Canada are evenly split by gender. Data from comScore showed 49.8% of social network users were male and 50.2% were female. Most surprisingly, the study also found the majority of social networkers in Canada were ages 35 and older, at 52.2% in 2012.

Social network users in Canada spend a large amount of time on social media. comScore Media Metrix survey results placed the country seventh overall in terms of time spent on social media, with users clocking an average of nearly 7.9 hours in November 2012. A separate study from GlobalWebIndex found internet users in Canada spent 1.21 hours on social networks and nearly 26 minutes on microblogs per day in Q4 2012. Together, these two activities took up 34% of all daily time online. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)

Advertising Internet users in Canada are less likely to engage with brands on social media than those in the US. A November 2012 study from Ipsos Global @dvisor and Ipsos OTX found only 31% of internet users regularly checked brands’ social network pages, and just 34% of respondents said they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network.

In fact, the majority of internet users in the country do not want advertising to even exist on social networks. According to a 2012 study from Ipsos Reid, only half (53%) of internet users in Canada approved of receiving advertising on social networks. However, lackluster support for social media marketing could be changing. Polling by Rogers and Vision Critical found 71% of internet users expected to use social networks to make purchase decisions in the next two years.

Mobile In Canada, mobile adoption has lagged many other developed nations, which has had a direct effect on mobile social network use. Mobile penetration in Canada will continue to fall behind most developed countries in the years to come. In 2013, eMarketer expects 68.9% of the country’s population to have mobile phones and 35.1% to have smartphones—almost 10 percentage points behind the US for both metrics. As a result, mobile social network use is relatively low. According to January 2012 data from TNS, 43% of mobile phone owners were using social networking features on the device.

Smartphone users are the most likely to access mobile social networks, and they are the most engaged. InSites Consulting found 70% of residents in Canada using smartphones logged on to social networks daily via the device in Q2 2012. In a study by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, 79% of smartphone users in the country reported downloading social network or instant messaging apps in 2012.

For more information, see eMarketer’s March 2012 report, “Canada’s Social Scene: More Sophisticated Marketing Meets a Growing Audience.”




UNITED STATES Top 10 Social Network Sites Among US Internet Users,Ranked by Market Share of Visits, Dec 2012

1. Facebook89.32%

2. Twitter2.88%

3. Pinterest1.55%

4. Google+1.00%

5. LinkedIn0.91%

6. Tagged0.78%

7. Tumblr0.56%

8. Myspace0.41%

9. Club Penguin0.40%

10. MeetMe0.40%

Source: Experian Hitwise, Jan 17, 2013150655 www.eMarketer.com

Social Networks It should come as no surprise that Facebook is the top social network in the US. eMarketer estimates nearly half (46.4%) of the population and almost 60% of internet users in the country will use the site in 2013. Growth in new users has slowed considerably. The number of US residents using the site will increase by just 3.7% this year; Canada is the only country that will see lower growth (3.1%).

Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+ consistently round out the top five social networks in the country. Pinterest is the latest addition to the social network landscape and has seen considerable growth over the past couple years. In fact, some sources rank Pinterest as the third most popular social network behind Twitter. December 2012 data from Experian Marketing Services (formerly Experian Hitwise) put Pinterest in third place in terms of market share of visits. In addition, a survey from GlobalWebIndex found Pinterest and Google+ tied for third, with 14% of US internet users using both sites in Q1 2013.

Usage eMarketer expects 51.7% of the US population to use social networks in 2013, placing the US as one of the most socially connected nations. Only countries in the Nordic region exceed this penetration rate. Meanwhile, 66.7% of internet users will be social network users in 2013, eMarketer estimates.

Use of social networks is not evenly split by gender in the US. Research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found 71% of female internet users were social networkers in December 2012, vs. 62% of male internet users. Social network users skew younger, but like many developed nations, the gap between generations is not as wide as in most developing nations. eMarketer forecasts 93.0% of internet users in the 18-to-24 age group and 86.0% in the 25-to-34 bracket will use social networks this year. Only internet users ages 0 to 11 and 65 and older fall below 50%, with 17.0% and 38.0%, respectively, expected to be social network users this year. Pew Internet & American Life Project’s study largely confirms this finding, determining that 83% of 18-to-29-year-old internet users and just 32% of those 65 and older accessed social networks.

Compared with other developed nations, US social network users are highly engaged. A June 2012 survey by Experian Marketing Services (formerly Experian Simmons) found 60.8% of social users accessed social media at least once a week, with 41.1% saying they visited daily. Data from GlobalWebIndex largely confirms this, with survey results showing internet users spent 1.38 hours on social networks and about 30 minutes on microblogs daily in Q4 2012. This put the US ahead of most countries in Europe. However, GlobalWebIndex found internet users in many of the emerging market countries in Asia-Pacific and Latin America spent much more time social networking and microblogging. (GlobalWebIndex’s data is based on self-reported survey data. Self-reported surveys often result in higher time estimates than other methodologies.)


Advertising Since US social network users are more engaged than those in many other developed nations, it should also come as no surprise that they are also more likely to interact with brands. October 2012 data from Adobe revealed that 57% of social users had “liked” a brand or product on social media. And in November 2012 polling by Ipsos OTX and Ipsos Global @dvisor, 47% of internet users indicated that they engaged with or followed at least one brand on a social network. By comparison, only 34% of respondents in Canada said the same.

However, not all brands are followed equally. A study conducted by BrandSpark International and Better Homes and Gardens in November 2012 found 65% of US internet users followed manufacturers of food or beverages and 55% followed restaurants. Meanwhile, just 14% and 13% followed automobile manufacturers and airlines, respectively. Those who follow brands do so for similar reasons as social network users worldwide. According to a December 2012 poll by Technorati Media, 56% of US Facebook users followed brands to learn about their products and services, 52% to keep up with activities and 48% because of sweepstakes or promotions. Responses from Twitter users were similar.

Mobile eMarketer estimates that this year, 77.9% of the US population will own a mobile phone and 44.3% of all people in the country will own a smartphone. Smartphone use in the US is higher than nearly every country worldwide—aside from the Nordic region, the UK and Australia. As a result, mobile social media use is relatively high. eMarketer expects 40.5% of mobile phone users to access social networks via mobile in 2013.

Mobile social network users in the US bear many similarities to online social networkers. First, female smartphone owners are more likely to use social networks on mobile than males—53% vs. 39%—according to an August 2012 study by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism. Mobile social networkers are also likely to be younger, with 61% of survey respondents in the 18-to-29 age group noting that they were mobile social network users. This quickly fell to 29% for respondents 50 to 64 and 14% for adults 65 and over.

Like online social networkers, mobile social network users are engaging with brands. According to comScore polling, an average of 39% of US smartphone users said they read posts or status updates from companies or brands in the three months leading up to December 2012, and approximately 26% of respondents had received a coupon, offer or deal. Meanwhile, in September 2012, ExactTarget found 31% of US smartphone owners were likely to connect with trusted brands and companies on Facebook—a close second to email, cited by 36% of respondents.

For more information, see eMarketer’s April 2013 report, “US Social Network Users 2013: Smartphone Usage Drives Mobile-Social Growth”




RELATED LINKS

comScore

Dubai School of Government

Experian Marketing Services

GlobalWebIndex

Informa Telecoms & Media

InSites Consulting

Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

Ipsos

Nielsen

Office of Communications (Ofcom) – UK

Pew Research Center

Socialbakers.com

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTORS

Cliff Annicelli Senior EditorKaitlin Carlin Copy EditorJoanne DiCamillo Senior Production ArtistStephanie Gehrsitz Senior Production ArtistDana Hill Director of ProductionHeather Price Copy EditorNicole Perrin Associate Editorial DirectorAllie Smith Director of Charts

http://www.comscore.com/

http://www.dsg.ae/en/home/index.aspx?&PriMenuID=2&mnu=Pri

http://www.experian.com/marketing-services/marketing-services.html

https://www.globalwebindex.net/

http://www.informatandm.com/section/home-page/

http://www.insites-consulting.com/

http://www.iab.net/

http://www.ipsos-na.com/

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en.html

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

http://www.pewresearch.org/

http://www.socialbakers.com

the global social network landscape - · pdf filebecause of low internet penetration rates,...

Documents