Brian solis

The State of Social Media Around the World 2010By Brian Solis, blogger at BrianSolis.com and principal of FutureWorks, Author of the new book Engage!, Co-Author, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations and Now Is Gone

If you were to look at Social Media the United States and many other parts of the

world, you would believe that the world of Social Media was flat, dominated by

social continents including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and Flickr. As we

zoom in, we visualize other established and emerging social services that depict

provinces and outlying settlements of our social atlas.

Upon publishing the original Conversation Prism, which was the culmination of a

year's work documenting and organizing the social web by usage and

conversational patterns, the world responded by creating Conversation Prisms

(cc) Brian Solis, www.briansolis.com - Twitter, @briansolis

specific to each country. I shared several new social maps in "The Landscape for

International Social Networking."

Over the years, other maps emerged that documented leading social networks

around the world as well as the social behavior associated within each country. As

Social Media is truly global and relationships are truly without borders, I too have

spent a great deal of time researching the networks that host conversations

relevant to my projects regardless of geographic location.

Italian blogger Vincenzo Cosenza has for the second time, published a visual map

that portrays the most popular social networks around the world based on the

most recent traffic data (December 2009) as measured by Alexa & Google Trends

for Websites.


Upon review, it's clear that Facebook, at 400 million, is truly earning a global

audience, which naturally burrows its social roots with every new connection and

the connections of connections forged within the network. According to research,

Facebook dominates in 100 out of 127 countries measured.

If we were to analyze the top three social networks by what many argue are the

top 10 markets for social networking, our view comes into focus and allows us to

see where our attention and participation is required in our global efforts.

Australia

1. Facebook

2. MySpace

3. Twitter

Canada

1. Facebook

2. MySpace

3. Flickr

China


1. QQ - 300 million active accounts

2. Xiaonei

3. 51

France

1. Facebook

2. Skyrock

3. MySpace

Germany

1. Facebook

2. StudiVZ

3. MySpace

Italy

1. Facebook

2. Netlog

3. Badoo

Russia

1. V Kontakte

2. Odnoklassniki

3. LiveJournal

Spain

1. Facebook

2. Tuenti

3. Fotolog

United Kingdom


1. Facebook

2. Bebo

3. MySpace

United States

1. Facebook

2. MySpace

3. Twitter

In other parts of the world, social networks that might not have registered

previously among leading experts, emerge as candidates when location and

society prove paramount in highly targeted, culturally-aware programs.

For example, Google's Orkut is Brazil's top social network.

Hi5 is leading in Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Thailand and Mongolia.

In the Czech Republic, Lide is the network of choice.

Maktoob is the social hub in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Oman, Saudi Arabia,

Yemen.

South Korea is focusing its dialogue and connections in Cyworld.

Social networking in Guadeloupe and Martinque is concentrated at Skyrock.

Mixi is the leading central station for social activity in Japan.

The leaderboard of those countries not yet friended by or fans of Facebook

include:

Hungary - Iwiw

Poland - Nasza-klasa

Philippines - Friendster

Netherlands - Hyves


Lithuania - One

Latvia - Draugiem

Taiwan - Wretch

Zing - Vietnam

The Global Web Index

The race for supremacy in social networking is only part of the story. As in any

race, we typically expect a winner to reach an end. However, this competition is

absent of finish line and as a result, a true overall winner is beside the point.

Many networks will enjoy time in the spotlight until their luster ages and a new

framework for engagement lures our friends of friends, our friends, and finally

our attention and participation. As consumers, we go where we are not only

wanted, but also where we can make an impact.

While we've reviewed the top social networks across the social Web, ranked by

countries spanning the globe, the balance of the story is represented in the

actions that define social media engagement within each network and influenced

by the culture of each country of prevalence.

TrendStream analyzed social media activity around the world and captured the

results in a stunning infographic.

This graph essentially unravels the ties that bind us and peels back the layers of

social networking technologies and platforms to reveal how real people are

adopting and engaging in the social web.

The map demystifies how social media is embraced around the world,

demonstrating that social computing and collaboration is far from ubiquitous.

And, in many countries, how we use social media is much different than how we

will use it over time. We're still in the very early stages of the social (r)evolution..

TrendStream in partnership with Lightspeed Research interviewed 32,000 Web

users in 16 countries. As such, the Global Web Index analyzes active social web


involvement and then organizes and presents behavior by volume (in millions).

Reviewing the Global Web Index and fusing the information with the data

included in the World Map of Social Networks, we can get a clear indication of

how social behavior defines social networks and to what extent. It's a goldmine of

data for any brand or government agency seeking a more influential form of

propaganda (2.0).

Social Web Involvement is categorized as:

Pink - Uploading photos online

Purple - Uploading videos

Blue - Managing a social network profile

Orange - Blogging

Pink - Micro-blogging

Grey - Percentage of population with access to social tools

Presenting the Data

Australia

Leading Network: Facebook

Social Network Profiles: Access= 40% | Users = 5m

Photos: Access = 39.1% | Users = 4.9m


Videos: Access = 11.9% | Users = 1.5m

Blogging: Access = 11.4% | Users = 1.4m

Micro Blogging: Access = 5.6% | Users = .7m

Brazil

Leading Network: Orkut

Social Network Profiles: Access= 59.6% | Users = 17.9m


Videos: Access = 34% | Users = 10.2m


Micro Blogging: Access = 14.2% | Users = 4.3m


Canada


Social Network Profiles: Access = 46.2% | Users = 10.2m

Photos: Access = 40.9% | Users = 9m




China

Leading Network: QQ



Blogging: Access = 46% | Users = 89.7m




France








Germany







India







Micro Blogging: Access = 24% | Users = 8.4m

Italy








Japan

Leading Network: Mixi






Mexico








The Netherlands

Leading Network: Hyves

Photos: Access = 37% | Users = 4.8m



Videos: Access = 10% | Users = 1.3m

Micro Blogging: Access = 3.5% | Users = .45m


Russia

Leading Network: V Kontakte


Social Network Profiles: Access = 48% | Users = 15.3m




South Korea







Micro Blogging: Access = 14% | Users = 4m

Spain








UK







USA








Observations

In 50% of the countries included in this study, online photo sharing dominated

the list of social media applications. It is also among the oldest of social services

within the included mix.

44% of the countries in this survey embrace online profiles in social networks

suggesting that their personal brand, whether for engaging in personal or

professional interactions, is becoming increasingly important.


81% shared photos and online profiles as the top 1 and 2 activities with the

exception of Japan, China, and South Korea where blogging displaced social

profiles as a top application.

94% of countries reported that micro-blogging (think Twitter) were among the

least pervasive with the exception of Japan, where it ranked fourth - just below

social network profiles and above video.

China's digital footprint is massive, defined by the incredible volume of content

creators and the contribution of their social objects. As the study reports, "due to

the inward looking nature of China's internet economy combined with the

language mean that this volume of content does not impact the broader Internet."

TechCrunch also observed a tremendous opportunity for Facebook in Russia.

Leading network Vkontakte.ru is in many regards, a Facebook clone. However, its

facsimile of a growing global network is also indicative of a potential deal.

Vkontakte is owned in large part by Digital Sky Technologies, a company which

also owns a noteworthy stake in Facebook. A deal of this magnitude would

further socialize Russian and other worldwide users under one truly global social

network.

As we examine opportunities for global social networking, we are reminded that

anthropology and sociology play critical roles in observing and documenting

behavior, supporting cultures, and established governances for dictating how

content, information, and relationships forge and flourish. In order to ensure

relevance and earn significance within networks, we must think locally when

examining opportunities globally. In addition, as culture and behavior shifts

across countries, they also establish a new dynamic within each Social Networks

creating a universal population that adapts what they know to what they learn

and experience.

Connect with Brian Solis: Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Facebook

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Brian Solis is globally recognized as one of most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has influenced the effects of emerging media on the convergence of marketing, communications, and publishing. He is principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning New Media agency in Silicon Valley, and has led interactive and social programs for Fortune 500 companies, notable celebrities, and Web 2.0 startups. BrianSolis.com is ranked among the top of world's leading business and marketing online resources.

Solis is the author of Engage! The complete guide for businesses to build, cultivate and measure success in the new Web.

In 2009, Brian Solis, along with Deirdre Breakenridge, released, Putting the Public back in Public Relations.

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