Goodbye Facebook, Hello The Rest Of Social Media
Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and newcomer Ello all share social media qualities. For my third week Facebook free, join me as I make a social media presence without including Facebook.
Pew Research recent social media study is in and according to the study Facebook remains the most popular social media site (by almost 50%!) out of the 81% of Americans who use the internet. If you look beyond the giant that is Facebook you will find LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter holding anywhere between 15-30%.
As part of my recent decision to go without Facebook for 30 days I set a goal to explore other social media sites as a way of comparing one to another. Recent trends show that while Facebook continues to be the most social media site with the most users, there wasn’t much growth from 2013 numbers. All other major social media sites saw significant growth during 2014.
According to the study:
- Multi-platform use is on the rise: 52% of online adults now use two or more social media sites, a significant increase from 2013, when it stood at 42% of internet users.
- For the first time, more than half of all online adults 65 and older (56%) use Facebook. This represents 31% of all seniors.
- For the first time, roughly half of internet-using young adults ages 18-29 (53%) use Instagram. And half of all Instagram users (49%) use the site daily.
- For the first time, the share of internet users with college educations using LinkedIn reached 50%.
- Women dominate Pinterest: 42% of online women now use the platform, compared with 13% of online men.
Lets take a look at other popular social media sites by the numbers:
*Remember that many of the individual users overlap and use more than one social media site. For example: 58% of Twitter users also use Instagram.
Twitter
- 23% of adult internet users visit Twitter regularly (19% of entire adult population).
- 36% of Twitter users use the site on a daily basis.
- 91% of Twitter users also use Facebook.
Pros & Cons: I registered with Twitter last summer to keep up with the accounts used in the office. I love Twitter for the trending topics, but personally don’t have the same connection with my circle of friends that Facebook provides. Feel free to tell me your thoughts about my Facebook hiatus @kellykirkham4
Instagram
- 26% of adult internet users visit Instagram regularly (21% of entire adult population).
- Almost half (49%) of all Instagram users check their feeds daily.
- 94% of Instagram users also use Facebook, and 52% use Twitter.
Pros & Cons: Instagram is great for moms who love to show off their kids, but on a daily basis I forget that it exists. Well that and following celebrities on Instagram can quickly dismiss your enthusiasm.
Pinterest
- 28% of adult internet users visit Pinterest regularly (22% of entire adult population).
- Only 17% of Pinterest users access the site daily.
- 88% of Pinterest users also use Facebook.
Pros & Cons: I have recently renewed my love for Pinterest. While not so much a social site, Pinterest has all of my favorite social media qualities because it is a) entertaining b) funny and c) really handy for quick problem-solving.
LinkedIn
- 28% of adult internet users visit LinkedIn regularly (23% of entire adult population).
- 13% of LinkedIn users check the site daily.
- 86% of LinkedIn users also use Facebook.
Pros & Cons: My personal opinion of LinkedIn is grim. My next resolution really should be to fix my LinkedIn profile page. I am a new user and really hate to talk about myself. Humility and LinkedIn really don’t mesh well. The pros are, of course, obvious. LinkedIn serves the business world every day to help individuals network and promote their personal success.
Ello
While not featured on the Pew Research study, I feel that Ello absolutely deserves an honorable mention for being the best social media newcomer. I absolutely adore this site and the simplistic ideas without all the sponsored ads. If I could get more of my friends to use it, I feel that Ello really could be the next ‘big thing’ in the social media world. Check it out at Ello.co