BLOG 05.24.13

While researching ways that brands can integrate their social media strategies across multiple markets, we found a bit of research that suggests that for now, that’s a complicated proposition. Why? Social media habits vary widely across the globe, in surprising ways. Some examples from an August 2011 Experian study on time spent on social networks in eight countries:

The average time spent daily on Facebook in August 2011 in Singapore was 38 minutes, 46 seconds. In Brazil it was 18:19. The U.S. averaged 20:46 and the U.K. 25:33.

In the U.K., 12.2 percent of website visits are to social sites and forums; in Brazil, it’s more than 50 percent greater, 18.9 percent. In many developing countries, lower social percentages are a function of Facebook and other sites still gaining traction. But there are additional telling numbers.

Social users in Brazil, India and Singapore rarely jump from social sites to retail sites right now, suggesting an opportunity for marketers to develop this habit in consumer. Facebook use in India jumped 88 percent in August 2011 compared to a year earlier, but the U.S. jump was only 5 percent.