Social Media: An Inside Look at the People Who Use It

Tags: Consumer Behavior, Multichannel Retailing, Online Retailing, Social Media, Technology
Type: Research
Overview|Download

A special analysis of the BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Usage Survey was compiled for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation. The survey was conducted October 15—December 28, 2009. The survey designates "social media users" as anyone who regularly uses Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, YouTube, MySpace, Classmates and LinkedIn and also anyone who regularly text messages and posts or maintains a blog.

As the report will outline, many of the key differences between social media users and the average adult who does not regularly use sites like Facebook or YouTube come from age and gender variances. Social media users encompass all demographics - moms, dads, teenagers, grandparents, professionals, students, Caucasian, African American, young, old and every other possible category that exists. The key difference is how social media is used in his or her life. Some use it for convenience, others to keep up with friends and some specifically for peer reviews on products and services.