11:40AM July 22 2010
The Rise and Rise of Social Media
Globally, Facebook has 500million users (up 350million from January 2009); 26million Britainâs use it (more than a third of the UK population); more than 3billion pictures are uploaded every month; there are more than 60million status updates a day; collectively, users spend more than 700billion minutes a month on Facebook; 30billion pieces of content are shared each month; on average, you create 90 pieces of content every month… and have an average of 130 friends.
What an influence the American programmer, Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook a mere 6 years ago has had. Do you think he could have envisaged the impact his platform would have on the world? Eight percent of the worldâs population is a Facebook user. Thatâs one in 12 people!  As the todayâs front page article of the Metro states, if Facebook were a country, it would be the worldâs third largest!
Social media as an industry has definitely demonstrated its influence on todayâs social and business world. And Facebook has had its fair share of headlines during this meteoric rise in awareness. Todayâs article is a clear indication of how this platform has the shoulders to stand up and be counted in more ways than one.Â
You canât escape Facebook and social media as an industry; it is around every corner and no matter what you think it has undoubtedly had an impact on your life, no matter how little or how much. Having spent seven years in a region that pretty much frowns upon Facebook; and to a degree hasnât embraced social media in its entirety (and oh how I wish it would), it was an eye-opener to me to see whatâs really happening out there on my return to British shores.
I just hope it is only a matter of time before such news reaches countries not yet too convinced by its influence. Iâd like to think it is only a matter of time before the restricting governing bodies acknowledge social media and what it can deliver. With restrictions relaxed companies will be able to, and undoubtedly will want to, include it as part of their business model.  Look, Facebook gleefully raked in hundreds of millions in advertising last year alone… a testament to its worth (which stands at an estimated £15billion by the way), and the reason why we do what we do on a daily basis. Why wouldnât a business want to embrace social media and engage with their customers?
*Metro article http://bit.ly/bd4uM5
@nickwheywell
