A Profile of the Social Networker

A social network can say a lot about a person, revealing habits, goals, and qualities according to a study done by Anderson Analytics.  Each social network’s users have distinct purchasing and online habits which make for very interesting marketing insights. Social networks are now more than ever becoming a place for niche marketing.  Anderson Analytics subdivided each group and here is what they found:

Users
Social media users are active online. They are more likely to listen to music, write blogs, and consume online content. They comment, repost, and consume information across the web. When surveyed, most users claimed to use social networking to keep in touch with friends, family, and classmates. Social media users are also not in it just for a friend count. Most users say they would not befriend someone unless they know them.

Non Users
Non users spend just as much time on the internet as users, but they are less likely to be active. They don’t write or contribute to sites and are more likely to be passive readers of information. Non users are definitely not technology haters and enjoy such sites as Amazon and EBay. However, they are likely to go purchase products in a store instead of form the web. Most said they didn’t use social media because they were afraid for privacy or thought they couldn’t do it. The study found that most will be joining the social realm as soon as they became comfortable with the world of web 2.0.

Facebookers
Facebook is the largest social network with millions of users worldwide. So it is not surprising that researchers found the data to be a bit mediocre from this group. However, Facebook users do tend to be middle class and a bit older than students. As far as income goes, Facebook users rank second for the highest income among social networks. Facebook users are active internet consumers but have such varied interests and aren’t particularly into one part of news or entertainment. They are extremely loyal and even claim to “not be able to live without it” and to be on it “all the time.”

Twitterers
Tweeters are life seekers while online. They are interested in lots of things and seek information from their social network. They like updates about news, politics, food, movies, entertainment, and anything that will in essence entertain them. Twitter users also purchase the most coffee online according to the study.  Twitter fans consume the most goods and purchase them from online venues. They are also entrepreneurs and promote their lives and businesses using Twitter. Twitter users have a lower income than Facebook users and are also more likely to have part time jobs.

MySpacers
MySpace users are generally teenagers looking for fun. This group is all about entertainment, whether it is movies, music, sports, or something else. This group (more than any other) is into video games and gaming. MySpacers seek out fun online through comedy and friendships.  The average user has more than 130 friends and contacts according to the research. Users are typically students and have the lowest income bracket of all the social networks. MySpace users are generally single. MySpace users are fleeting as the social network is seeing more and more people abandon it for another network.

LinkedIn Networkers
LinkedIn is primarily used by business and professionals to create an online network of business colleagues and contacts.  The network is seen as an extension of the office and business is conducted on this site. These users are very business and goal orientated. They aren’t out for fun and friends. Instead users conduct themselves on this site like they were in the office.  They are more likely to consume information relating to news and politics. They spend their time at the gym and at the office. LinkedIn users are more likely to be male according to the study as 57% of LinkedIn users are male. This social network has the highest income bracket of all the social networks.

Source: Anderson Analytics

Social Media