Social Networks and Blog Use Rising

In a recent article in eMarketer, Nielsen Online reported that more people in the US and other leading digital countries worldwide are using social networks and blogs than email.

Top 5 Online Activities Dec 2008

The growth of the member community sector does not come as a surprise with the incredible popularity of Twitter and Facebook. As a marketer you also have to keep in mind that a 2008 study performed by IDC found that 43% of social network users never clicked on ads, and only 11% of those who did actually purchased anything. In contrast email proved more effective with another study reporting that 44% of internet users say that email inspired them to make at least one online purchase, but that is down from 51% in 2007. 41% said they had made at least one offline purchase due to an email pitch, down from 47% last year.