Adweek covered a recent study conducted by Universal McCann that shows some interesting things about US consumers and social media. The survey was a repeat of one done in September 2006 by the research firm. The second survey showed that the number of survey respondents who regularly read blogs jumped from just over 50 percent to just over 70 percent. That alone should tell you something about social media: consumers pay attention to it, and if it isn’t part of your marketing strategy, it should be.

Another finding showed that the number of respondents who watched video online grew from 30 percent in 2006 to 80 percent in 2007. The survey also showed major increases in other online content activities, like listening to podcasts, subscribing to RSS feeds and commenting on news items.

Again, this should be telling you something about social media: the number of consumers who use it is growing, and users are subscribing to a variety of different content delivery vehicles. You can reach your target audience in a number of “creative” and “ordinary” ways. The key is to reach out to your audience. They’re waiting to hear from you!

In a survey of Internet users worldwide, Universal McCann found that MySpace and Facebook also have significant contact with networked users. The audience for these vehicles is between one-quarter and one-third, but these social media networks represent yet another opportunity to reach out to your potential audience.

Beyond blogging, social media opens up a number of opportunities to interact with people who are interested in your niche. If you haven’t made plans to do so already, these numbers may justify a review of your current online marketing strategy.

Photo Credit: Steve Woods