Blogs are now mainstream media

Conclusions of Universal McCann's Wave 3 survey of 17,000 active internet users in 29 countries, aged 16-54 (via BizCommunity.com):

1. SOCIAL MEDIA is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of wider economic, social and cultural development. If you are online you are using social media.

2. ASIAN MARKETS are leading in terms of participation, creating more content than any other region.

3. VIDEO clips are the quickest growing platform, up from 31% penetration in Wave 1 to 83% in Wave 3; 57% have joined a Social Network, making it the number one platform for creating and sharing content; 55% of users have uploaded photos; 22% of users have uploaded videos.

4. The WIDGET economy is real: 23% of social network users have installed an application; 18% of bloggers have installed applications in their blog templates.

5. BLOGS are a mainstream media worldwide and as a collective, rival any traditional media: 73% have read a blog. The blogsphere is becoming increasingly participatory, there are now 184 million bloggers worldwide. The number one thing to blog about is personal life and family.

6. CHINA has the largest blogging community in the world with 42 million bloggers - more than the US and Western Europe combined.

7. Social media impacts your BRAND's reputation: 34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog; 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs.

MORE.

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