Across 17 markets of the world, well over half the population (58%) do not know what social networking is, according to a study released today by leading global market intelligence firm, Synovate.
Global head of media research for Synovate, Steve Garton, said the survey was conducted to explore some of the myths and facts that have built up around the online social networking phenomena.
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It seems everyone is social networking. Or are they? *
"We spoke with over 13,000 respondents aged 18-65 years in 17 markets around the world to find out who's connected and who's not, as well as attitudes and online behaviours. Some of what we found surprised us... like more than a third of social networkers say they are losing interest in social media. And how many people do not even know what it is."
"And that's where our first myth was debunked. It turns out social networking is not taking over the world. Well, not yet anyway."
Across the 17 markets surveyed, 42% of people know what online social networking is, which leaves 58% in the dark... either saying 'no' or 'don't know'.
"Of course this is a reflection of the wide age groups covered in our survey. It's a different story if you only look at younger people," Garton said.
The Dutch were most likely to know the term with 89% answering 'yes', followed by Japan at 71% and Americans with 70% answering in the affirmative. Still, that leaves three in every ten Americans (the home of social networking) outside the world of digital friends and relationships.
Synovate's Senior Vice President of the US-based Consumer Insights group, Bob Michaels, says, "While a majority of Americans have access to computers there are still others, particularly seniors and immigrants, who do not. Online social networking just is not part of their world."
Who's In the In-crowd?
The Synovate survey also looked into who were members of sites, or not, and which sites they belonged to. Perhaps the biggest out-take here is the debunking of myth number two. Social networking is definitely not US-centric.
Overall, 26% across the markets surveyed are members of social networking sites. This peaked with the Netherlands at 49%, United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 46%, Canada at 44% and the US at 40% (though keep in mind that's 40% of a huge population).
Synovate's Managing Director for the UAE, George Christodoulides, says: "The popularity in the UAE makes sense. It is a place that's very connected to the world; a hub for cultures, business and people."
"These sites also offer a way for people to meet -- online -- in a society where traditionally men and women don't always mix freely."
Sites of Choice
The survey then asked social networkers to name the sites they belong to. Some markets seemed to favur multiple memberships and some seemed to stick to one or two major ones. The markets where social networking aficionados favor signed up for many sites are UAE, India, Indonesia, and Bulgaria.
Robby Susatyo, Managing Director of Synovate in Indonesia, says: "It's a snowball. It's considered cool to have multiple membership because it shows that you are following the trend."
Showing the vast array of social networking niches, the open-ended question about site membership attracted responses naming around 150 sites across the 17 markets surveyed, but naturally some sites stood out as more popular.
Almost unanimously, 91% of Japanese social networkers are on a Japanese-language site called mixi. Synovate's Managing Director of Japan, Rika Fujiki, points out that attitudes and thinking on social networking are impacted by the site that created the boom in each market.
"In Japan, social networking has become very popular in a short period of time due to mixi, especially among younger people. One of the major features of mixi is that it's invitation only. Because of this feature, mixi's networks are based on friendship in the real world. So it's not used the way some sites are... it's not for broadening networks, rather for strengthening existing networks.
Privacy and Predators
The survey was not all about debunking myths. It also confirmed facts. Like, privacy concerns and fear of strangers remain barriers to complete online comfort for a great many of our respondents.
Overall, just over half the respondents who are members of social networking sites (51%) agreed that online social networking has its dangers. The Brazilians were the most nervous about online social networking with 79% agreeing there is danger, followed by the US (69%) and Poland (62%). Least concerned are Indians on 19%.
Nervy networkers' biggest concerns were lack of privacy (37%) closely followed by lack of security for children (32%). The Dutch were the most concerned about privacy at 54% and lack of security for children was the biggest worry for Americans with 62% of respondents nominating it.
We also asked respondents whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement "I feel comfortable giving out personal details on social networking sites" and found that this makes most people, even those who are social networkers, uncomfortable. Of the group who are members of social networking sites, only 26% are comfortable giving out personal details. This is led by 71% of Serbians and 57% of Indians.
But the more interesting finding is the unease among social networkers. 85% of Japanese and German social networkers were uncomfortable handing out details, followed by 83% in Taiwan, 79% in Canada, 77% in Brazil and South Africa and 70% in Poland and the US.
US-based Bob Michaels said: "Identity theft continues to be a major problem in the US so handing out any personal information online is going to make people wary. Another growing issue in the US is online defamation -- posting negative and sometimes untrue information about someone else online -- so people are becoming more and more careful about the information they share and who they share it with."
Marketing Dream?
Assuming you have determined that many of your target market are, indeed, social networkers and you know where they can be found, is it worth getting your brand online? Steve Garton says an emphatic 'yes', but do it quietly...
"These strategies work best when the brand listens to social networkers, insinuating the product or service into lots of quiet conversations. One example is BMW on Facebook, where people can drive the car themselves and invite their friends... virtually of course.
"Brands do not want to be overt here."
We asked social networkers around the world whether they noticed site sponsors, advertisements and interactive profile pages. The results were encouraging for marketers.
Overall, 53% of social networkers notice site sponsors. In good news for the sponsors, these seem to have the greatest impact in the US (where 66% notice), Serbia (65%) and Russia and Germany (both 64%).
Bob Michaels says: "Americans go straight to the web when looking for information about products and services. When they do, they like to know which companies and organisations are associated with the site so they can judge if the information they are viewing is credible."
In addition, two thirds of site members notice advertisements for products. They are most noticed in Indonesia (86%), Poland (83%) and South Africa and Germany (both 80%). They are least noticed in the Netherlands (52%), Taiwan (49%) and France (40%).
Thirty-one percent of social networkers notice interactive profile pages featuring brands, but 26% say they don't know whether they do or not, so these results are a little more opaque. These pages are most likely to be noticed in Serbia (69%) and Indonesia (61%).
Robby Susatyo of Indonesia says: "This makes sense given that so many people in Indonesia are 'brand-minded'. They aspire to owning goods with an internationally-reputed brand."
Attitudes
In a series of attitudinal statements we asked whether people agreed or disagreed with statements about communication, language and friendship. The findings well and truly explode the myth that online social networking is all-consuming.
Steve Garton says that respondents who are members of social networking sites have a balanced on- and offline existence.
"Most people online, regardless of culture, have a very strong appreciation of being in the real world. Their attitudes and behaviour show us that the virtual world of social networking can complement relationships, but not replace them. There is no substitute for real life, real friends and real relationships."
Some of the findings were:
- Forty percent of people who engage in social networking agree that online communication can be just as meaningful as face-to-face communication, versus 26% of people who are not members of any of these sites.
- - When asked if they agree with the statement "Online social networking is better than not interacting at all", it was not surprising that members of social networking sites are far more likely to agree (75%) than non-members at 51%. Highest agrees among social networkers are France (86%), Indonesia (84%) and the US and Russia (both 83%).
- Among social networkers in the markets surveyed, almost half (46%) agree that it is easier to make friends online than in person. Only 28% of non-social networkers agreed.
- And who's losing interest? When asked if they agree with the statement "I am losing interest in online social networking", 36% of the social networking site members were in the affirmative; led by Japan (55%), Slovakia (48%), Canada (47%), Poland and the US (45%). Social networkers in Indonesia and France are the least likely to be losing interest in the activity (82% and 79% are going strong respectively).
- More than half the social networkers surveyed agreed that people's language skills are deteriorating as a result of online social networking.
- Thirty seven percent of all people from the UAE, 35% of South Africans and 29% of Taiwanese agreed that they had more friends online than they have in the 'real' world.
- Seventy-eight percent of social networkers agree that people are better off doing outdoor activities than spending time in front of a computer
More information available at Synovate.