Since I first joined Facebook over four years ago the social media landscape has continued to evolve at a rapid pace. It also has become more fun with the addition of Instagram and Pinterest.

What I like to see is that the big boys are not having it all their own way.

Google thought Facebook was just a fad that would go away.  For a while there Twitter looked like it would be a super nova that exploded with growth and then fade into oblivion. But neither of these events have occurred and social media has moved from fad to mainstream.

The women are the major participants on Pinterest.  This is validated when you look at the  Pinterest demographics and also notice that the top five pinners with millions of followers are female. When I participate on Pinterest it seems as if I am male voyeur listening in on visual  conversations dominated by women. It is a bit like dropping into a women’s fashion store or lingerie shop. You know that it is OK to be there but it doesn’t feel quite right.

Two Significant Trends in Social Media

There are two trends that have emerged in the last two years that have changed the  social media landscape and fabric.

1. Visualisation of content: This is obvious when you see the rapid rise of Pinterest and Instagram and the evolution of larger images on Facebook and its user interface. Google+ had realised this when it launched last year with its feature and function sets applying a highly visual format.
2. Mobile use and sharing: Instagram is the leader of this trend and is one of the reasons that Facebook made a $1 billion purchase of a non profitable company (Instagram) with only 16 employees.

These trends have also impacted web design and online shopping with Amazon changing its design and layout to a Pinterest styled home page  ”feed” 

Social Media Statistics

There are some surprising statistics that indicate the growth and impact the social web has created in just a few short years.

• 350 million plus users suffer from “Facebook addiction syndrome”
• If Twitter was a country it would be the 12th largest in the world
• LinkedIn signs up 2 new members every second
• The average visitor spends 15 minutes a day on YouTube
• Three million new blogs come online every month
• 97% of the fans on Pinterest’s Facebook page are women
• 5 million images are uploaded to Instagram every day
• The Google +1 button is used 5 billion times every day

Want to find out more?, Check out this Infographic.

Source: Infographic by Go-Globe and the data source is from PRDaily.

What About You?

Where do you think social media is heading? What is your favorite statistic or fact?

Is Facebook annoying you with its Edgerank limitation of updates on Timelines.

Look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

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