The #RLTM Scoreboard: Social Networking Stats for the Week
| Facebook: | over 850 million users | via ABC News |
| Twitter: | over 500 million users | via Twopcharts |
| Google Plus: | over 90 million users | via Larry Page |
| LinkedIn: | 150 million members | via LinkedIn |
| Renren: | over 170 million users | via iResearch iUser Tracker |
| Qzone: | 500 million active users | via China Internet Watch |
| Sina Weibo: | over 250 million users | via Forbes |
| Groupon: | 115 million subscribers | via Reuters |
| Tumblr: | 49.9 million blogs | via Tumblr |
| Posterous: | 3.9 million members | via SF Gate |
| 11.7 million unique monthly users | via TechCrunch | |
| Foursquare: | 15 million users | via Mashable |
| 27 million users | via TechCrunch | |
| Tagged | 20 million active users | via Tagged |
Please email marissa@modernmediapartners.com if you have additional updates, or a social network that you feel should be on the list.
When Should Your Brand Post on Google+?
Engagement on Google+ has dropped over the last few months, with comScore reporting that users spent an average of only 3.3 minutes on the social network in January 2012, down from 5.1 minutes in November 2011 and 4.8 minutes in December.
Yet brands are continuing to invest time in establishing a presence on the site, and brand engagement is doing well, particularly in the morning hours and on Wednesdays, according to recent report by Simply Measured. The study examines Google+ activity by the Top 100 Brands (according to Interbrand, and based on financial performance), 62 of which have Verified accounts on Google+.
Companies have been able to create Brand Pages on Google+ since November 2011, and have been working to engage followers since then, encouraging them to comment, +1 and reshare brand content. Brands are posting mostly during regular business hours, and this is also when most consumer interactions are taking place.
Google+ is primarily used during work hours, not at home:
- 86% of the engagement that takes place happens during working hours (5am to 5pm)
- 89% of all engagement happens on the weekdays
- Wednesday is the most popular day for brand posts and for user engagement with those posts
- the highest engagement with brand posts happens between 9-10am local time
According to the report, although Google+ has a smaller user base, it “continues to show great strength in terms of content engagement.” Yet eMarketer asks “whether active brands can bring more active users” — or whether usage on Google+ will have to pick up before it becomes a significant channel for brands.
While the last official announcement by Google CEO Larry Page – back in January 2012 – put Google+ user numbers at 90 million, unofficial Google+ statistician Paul Allen estimated the social network has 100 million users as of February 2012.
