In the last year, social media has become extremely popular, with usage overall increasing dramatically.  In spite of changes that Facebook users have complained about and frequent Twitter problems, the two social networking sites have become more popular in the last year than ever before.

Nielsen released a report on its blog showing the increase in popularity as well as time spent by users navigating social networking sites.  Globally, these social networking sites (Twitter and Facebook in particular) are the most popular online destinations Nielsen says, based on the amount of time spent on the sites.  They noted that gaming, which is increasing in popularity on Facebook and Myspace, may affect the time spent online even more.

In December, Facebook was the most popular social networking site taking about 67% of the social networking traffic, according to Nielsen.  It seems that people spent close to 6 hours a month on site, on average.  In the U.S., popularity of Facebook and of Twitter is growing at an even higher rate than other places in the world.  Though Twitter was the fastest growing network in December of 2009, Facebook is still the most popular by unique visitors and time spent online.

Because of the popularity of social media and networking, it’s a great time to take advantage of what these tools can offer your business.  Using a strategic plan to tie these services into your website can get you exposure online with a vast audience.  However, just reaching out to that audience isn’t enough to show real value for your business.  You must engage that audience and direct them back to your website in order to see the real benefit.

Utilizing a company like Cybernautic, Inc. can be the first step in harnessing the marketing potential of sites like Facebook and Twitter and using them to direct traffic, leads, and sales through your website.  As you look at what’s important to your business in 2010, contact someone at Cybernautic today to ensure that you get the most out of your sales and marketing efforts by tapping into those social networking sites. We want your website to function in the best manner possible and we want you to be able to take advantage of social media and networking.