Synthesio’s Social Media Usage Series, Part 3 (See Parts 1 and 2) One of the best things about social media is its ability to connect us all, no matter where we are on the planet. With today’s wide range of social media platforms and apps, you have a way of contributing your voice to the global community. But, not every country uses social media the same way, or even at the same rate. Is a popular platform in one country just as popular in another country? Do people in certain countries post more or less often on social media? What does this mean for understanding consumer preferences? Fortunately, Ipsos, our parent company, surveyed over 9,000 people across ten countries to answer these questions about social media usage statistics by country.
Which countries have the most active social media users?
Social media users in Mexico, Brazil, and China consistently demonstrate the highest level of activity across a variety of social media platforms. Here’s a quick snapshot of Mexico’s social media usage habits:
Are you surprised that 84% of people in Mexico post on Facebook at least once a month?
Come to Brazil!
When talking about social media usage statistics by country, we’d never leave out Brazil, which doesn’t trail far behind Mexico. Here is their usage volume by social media platform:
In fact, social media users in Brazil are so well-known for their lively social media usage that there’s a meme about it: Come To Brazil.
The meme began when the online community noticed that social media users in Brazil often post Tweets and comments asking celebrities to visit Brazil. The Come to Brazil meme was most popular several years ago. More recently, Josiah Van Dien, a freelance photographer with a large following, tried to revive the meme as a joke.
For the complete (and entertaining) history, we refer you to this New York Magazine piece.
China’s Skyrocketing Numbers
Let’s not forget about China, whose giant population of social media users are extremely active. Notice that over 90% of surveyed participants posting at least once a month on WeChat.
Which country has the least active social media users?
On the other side of the spectrum, Japan’s social media users are among the least active in the world. In this country, 60% of surveyed participants stating that they never post anything on social media. Besides Twitter, social media users in Japan demonstrate the lowest rate of usage across every major platform. Compare Japan’s stats with those you see above. That’s a pretty drastic difference!
How You Can Understand Consumers Who Are Highly Active Social Media
In an online culture where people enjoy expressing their opinions and updating users about their lives, analyzing the digital space is a highly accurate method for gauging consumer interest. This means that companies operating in (or hoping to expand to) Mexico, Brazil, and China should take advantage of the outspoken nature of these social media users to understand their values, interests, and demands. In fact, the anonymity of social media allows people to express their opinions or preferences about brands and products. Companies can get an up-close look at where there’s a missing gap in the market. This feedback loop provides companies with real-time, continuous feedback without the added cost of conducting customer surveys.
How To Avoid a Social Media Crisis and Design a Winning Marketing Strategy
Keep in mind, however, that a vocal online community has both pros and cons. We’ve talked about how it helps, but how can it hurt? Vocal audiences are more eager to comment and share posts that they like, but what happens with posts they don’t like? When a campaign goes south, it can spiral out of control rapidly. Critics on social media will be quick to condemn and bring attention to crises, so companies need to be careful about what they post and share.
Furthermore, a perpetually active online community means that brands face greater competition. The audience participation may be high, but the competition for attention will be even higher. Brands need to carefully design a strategy that will attract the eyes they want. A mediocre campaign will quickly get lost in the shuffle.
How can you avoid a social media crisis while standing out among a vocal social media community? The answer’s in market research. While social data offers valuable insights on consumer opinions and reactions, rigorous market research gives brands an edge by providing a holistic profile of public opinion. This detailed information allows brands to shape marketing campaigns that capture the attention and imagination of many while avoiding negative feedback.
Rounding Out Your Target Audience When Social Media Usage is Low
When it comes to countries where people use social media less frequently, the need for market research becomes much more apparent.
It’s true that valuable information is gleaned from social media data. Nowadays, it’s simply a part of the business process. But the fact that not everyone posts on social media cannot be ignored. It means that a lot of voices are missing. And that’s a part of the puzzle that brands can’t afford to lose.
Again, companies need to be able to incorporate social media data and market research. The difference is in the emphasis. Brands working with less-active social media groups need market research to evaluate consumer opinion and social media intelligence to gather information from all digital platforms. On the other hand, wherever social media usage rates are soaring, companies can rely more on social media data. Market research is best suited for pinpointing the concepts or images that strike a chord with the target audience. These markets need survey data to avoid potential crises and craft a comprehensive picture of the market.
No proper marketing strategy can proceed without both sides of the coin. Knowing your audience begins with getting the starting point right. Understanding social media usage statistics by country is one way to begin. Start crafting the most accurate picture of your target audience in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Brazil, Russia, China, Mexico, and Japan using this in-depth and visual social media usage report.
