Nielsen has just release a new report, this one on how the economy has affected use of the internet, including video viewing, internet ads and social networking sites.
It's probably not too much of a surprise that Nielsen reports use of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are up 73% over the last year; 883% since 2003. The San Francisco Gate quotes Charles Buchwalter, a senior vice president with Nielsen Online, as saying that "the research shows is a fundamental shift from shopping directories and search tools as people seek more 'personalized relationships' when they go online."
In short, what social media hawks have been saying for years is true: people are yearning to connect with people like themselves. They are yearning for real conversations with real human beings. They want to be engaged, and they want to spend time in online communities both for the information exchanged and for the sense of community provided. (Did I manage to use all the social media buzzwords for that one?) People are no longer using the internet just to buy a pair of shoes; they are joining communities to find other shoe enthusiasts; they are finding shoe-shopping buddies; they are subscribing to feeds to find out about the latest shoe styles; they are Twittering about shoe news and sales; they are forming Tweetups with their shoe community buddies.
And very little of that interaction and engagement is actually about buying shoes; it's more about finding, creating and participating in a community that shares a person's interests.
Buchwalter continues, advising internet marketers to online marketers to "create more meaningful relationships with customers."
That's right. It's no longer enough to market to customers; we want to be engaged with as human beings in a living, breathing community.
In a YouTube video (what else?), Nielsen Online CEO John Burbank tells more:
In it, he reflects on the impact of the economy on the online media landscape. He reports:
- while categories like auto and financial services are spending less, pharma and others are increasing spending
- he challenges the industry to change the way the internet uses advertising
- YouTube doesn't cannibalize television; both TV and YouTube viewing trends are going up
The good news seems to be that marketers and advertisers have more options and more chances to engage consumers than ever before online. Question is, will they?
