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You are here: Home / Social media / Sunday Catch Up – You Spend How Long Online?! Edition

Sunday Catch Up – You Spend How Long Online?! Edition

April 21, 2013 by Jan Kearney

We Brits spent 323 million hours watching online video in February.  Hitwise also revealed this week that we spent 37 BILLION hours online in 2012 (not including mobile views).

I have an unhealthy fascination with stats, I blame my science background… 

Catch Up You Spend How Long Online?! Edition

What are we doing with our time online and how can we as marketers take advantage of our social love affair?  Here’s this week’s round-up

Contents

  • How Much Time Do We Spend Online?
  • The Good and Ugly Side of Social Media
  • Facebook to Bombard Us With More Ads
  • Optimising Facebook Content for Mobile
  • New LinkedIn Mobile App
  • How To Pin A Video
  • Get Started With Google+
  • Related Posts

How Much Time Do We Spend Online?

If our 37 billion hours online is compressed into 1 hour, it breaks down like this:

Uk Internet Usage stats - time spent online

Image credit: Experian Hitwise

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Brits spend 13 minutes in every hour using social media (click to tweet this stat)

The Hitwise blog also compared internet usage for other English speaking countries – read it here 

Not only do we spend far too much time online, we’re plugged into the web while watching TV.  These stats are from Neilsen via SearchEngine Land

Internet stats - Neilsen, simultaneous TV/Tablet activities

The Good and Ugly Side of Social Media

The horrific events in Boston last week really highlighted the power of social media.  Our time online was put to good use as Internet Psychologist, Graham Jones highlights with his blog post.

And, in the aftermath, our social time turned to witch-hunts and hatred.  Molly Wood highlights the bad and gives some ground rules for reporting breaking news on CNet.

Facebook to Bombard Us With More Ads

The powerhouse that is Facebook hope to take advantage of our social media fascination and sell super-ads on the platform.  These ads will be 15 second videos that will likely pop out from the newsfeed and auto-play.  I can’t think of anything more intrusive…

Personally, I’m hoping that’s a US only roll out.  Ads in the newsfeed are annoying enough because often they are totally unrelated to me.  Just because I am friends with some very creative people who can make things, it does not mean I want to see a crochet promoted post.  Don’t start me on the sponsored news stories about the latest celebrity gossip!

Pop out, auto-play ads simply combine my two biggest gripes about online marketing and will result in me restricting time on Facebook, if not moving away totally.  What do you think?

The cost of these ads are estimated to be 7 figures, and you have until summer to save up!

Optimising Facebook Content for Mobile

For small businesses, Facebook ads can actually work very, very well and are far less expensive than Adwords.  Like any other ad, it’s all down to targeting the right people with the right message.

Despite spending 13 minute per hour on social media, these stats do not include mobile usage.  Facebook and mobile go hand in hand (unless you’re me, I don’t do anything on a mobile except talk!)  Mobile users don’t see the same things we see on a desktop or laptop.

HubSpot have a great post about optimising your Facebook content, including ads for mobile. 

New LinkedIn Mobile App

As a business browser, LinkedIn may be more up your street.  They have released their new, better looking mobile app for “the everyday professional”.

A safety note: Don’t update your LinkedIn status while crossing the road, that’s just silly!

As a side note, I’m not a big LinkedIn user, I feel like it’s similar to walking into a networking meeting full of people in suits!  However, on the occasions I visit, I prefer the LinkedIn ads and I am more likely to click.  What are your thoughts on LinkedIn?

How To Pin A Video

Pinterest is still very much the new kid on the block as far as social networks are concerned.  It’s not just for images, you can pin videos too.

Pinning a video isn’t quite a straight forward as it would first appear.  Bonnie Gean has produced another helpful video tutorial with a PDF download – “How to Add a Video to Pinterest“

I’ve already mentioned our love affair with video, and we know that people are more likely to buy when clicking through from an image on Pinterest compared to Facebook.  I would be really interested to know if you have experienced results from Pinterest, what about clicks through from videos on Pinterest? 

Get Started With Google+

I can’t really chat on about social media and not mention Google+ now…  Chris Brogan has some great tips on his article get Started With Google+.  When Chris talks about Local Business, I would recommend creating a Google Places page not a Google Plus Business Page yet – things still aren’t totally ironed out there

 Over to you…

How much time do you spend online?  Is it mainly on social media?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Sunday Catch Up - You Spend How Long Online?! Edition by Jan Kearney
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Filed Under: Social media, Sunday Catch Up Tagged With: facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, social media marketing, UK internet use stats, UK social media stats

About Jan Kearney

I believe that every business, no matter how small or how local can use the power of the web to gain more customers. I offer no bull coaching and mentoring so small business owners can strategically put the web to work for their business. I've been called a "compass" and a "navigator" and probably a few more names that aren't suitable for a profile!
Connect with me on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest

Comments

  1. Wendy Bottrell says

    April 21, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    This is so fascinating for me. Just starting to learn about the impact Social Media and the Mobile craze is having in the marketplace! It is all very exciting! Best Regards, Wendy Social Media Mastermind

    • Jan Kearney says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      I’ve managed to avoid the mobile craze! I got my first mobile when WAP came out – just so I could access the net. I was disappointed then. These days, I know I would never switch off if I had a smartphone!
      That doesn’t mean we can ignore the trend to mobile though…

      Thanks for popping in Wendy 🙂

  2. Sabrina says

    April 21, 2013 at 10:30 pm

    Super nice post. I tweeted it out…great reference material! So glad you found my personal blog iSabrinaEspinal during the UBC.
    We spend too much time online!

    • Jan Kearney says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      Thanks for tweeting, Sabrina – enjoyed your blog too 🙂

  3. Joy Healey says

    April 21, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Hi Jan

    If you like stats you’d love Rescue Time that monitors how I spend my time on the computer. It’s absolutely fascinating to see what I get up to and has confirmed (what I already knew) that I’m a workaholic. On the positive side it lets me set targets to stay under (e.g less than 1hr a day on email).

    My time on Facebook is really for work purposes and I wouldn’t bother otherwise. I see my friends on there playing games, but I’ve got FB trained to ignore most games invitations now. (And NO I don’t want to see the ads!)

    Pinterest I love, and have yummy recipes pinned that hopefully I will never make (too many calories). I can’t honestly say that I’ve seen any sales I can credit to Pinterest, but I love the puppies etc,

    Google + and LinkedIn, I’ve not spent a lot of time on yet.

    • Jan Kearney says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:36 pm

      I started with Facebook just to keep tabs on my daughter all those years ago! And I’ve never played a game yet…
      For a long time I only really used my page rather than profile, I do post on it more now. I won’t be spending much time at all (if any) if I get 2-3 pop-out ads per day.
      G+ is one to get on – even if you don’t use it socially yet

      Thanks for popping in Joy, and sharing your thoughts 🙂

  4. Ginny Carter says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    It will be interesting to see what happens with super ads in newsfeed – I am also trepidacious! However I think users will increasingly accept that Facebook is a business, and just as it’s annoying to be into a film on TV and have it interrupted by ad breaks, in time we will grow to accept it. Maybe?

    • Jan Kearney says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:38 pm

      I’m sure there will be uproar, Ginny – then carry on regardless lol

      Thanks for popping in 🙂

  5. Carlana says

    April 23, 2013 at 4:22 am

    ‘I have an unhealthy fascination with stats’. You think? Lol. I’m a bit like that. Or so I have been told. Thanks to infographics, sharing stats can be very sexy and cool! Keep those stats coming, they are always interesting.

    • Jan Kearney says

      April 23, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      haha! Thanks Carlana! I shall keep sharing the sexy stats 🙂

Meet Jan Kearney

I believe that every business, no matter how small or how local can use the power of the web to gain more customers. I offer no bull coaching and mentoring so small business owners can strategically put the web to work for their business. I've been called a "compass" and a "navigator" and probably a few more names that aren't suitable for a profile!
Connect with me on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest or Discover More About My Local Business Online…

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