Social media has overtaken porn as the number one activity on the Web.
Some 189 million Facebook users access the site via mobiles only, which means 30% of Facebook's ad revenue comes from mobile. And, every second, two new members join LinkedIn.
These stats were outlined by Dave Ives, a director at Karabina Solutions, at the Future Group's Smartest Event in Illovo last week. Ives described data as one of the most precious resources of the 21st century. CEOs are increasingly realising that data and technology have a massive impact on business and that these assets can be used to create business value, he continued.
"About 93% of marketers are using social media as part of their business. This means people are starting to use sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to understand their customers better," he said.
According to Ives, social media is populated with user-generated content, giving people a platform to voice their opinions. He described social media as an ideological concept around sharing; a concept that has become quite important in today's society.
While 62% of marketers blogged, or planned to blog, in 2013, only 9% of marketing companies employ a full-time blogger, which Ives believes is evidence of a real disconnect in the market. Similarly, many companies don't even have a social media policy, said Ives, adding that implementing such a policy may be a good start in formulating a brand's internal marketing strategy.
If businesses wish to effectively reach their target markets, they must take into account the fact that 3.3 billion mobile devices are predicted to be shipped in the next year, which Ives believes signals a clear market shift. "Technology Darwinism is not about being the fittest. It is those who adapt the fastest that will survive."
He cited UK retailer HMV, which went bankrupt at the beginning of the year, as an example. The company missed the technology opportunity and ignored the trends happening in its industry - and paid the price, he continued.
Today's connected landscape requires businesses to be very inclusive, said Ives, adding that everyone - from the IT crowd to the marketing team - needs to be in the boardroom when decisions are being made.
"We have connected devices and connected information platforms. The task is now to bring information in and use that information to start to understand your market, supply chain and industry better," he said. "Big data is going to change how businesses look at their own information and how they adapt. In as little as 60 seconds, the big data explosion means that so much can happen; you can choose to ignore it or you can choose to get involved."
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