Top 10 Social Networks / Forums

• The most popular social networking site visited by UK Internet users is Facebook(42.82%)
• 16.36% of Internet users visit YouTube on a regular basis making it the 2nd most popular social site
• Bebo was ranked as the 3rd most popular social network, with 6.94% of Internet users visiting it
• 4.14% of the online population in the UK use MySpace frequently, while only 1.19% use Twitter on a regular basis
  

Social Media Marketing

• According to a Sapient study provided to eMarketer, only 9% of marketers believe that social networking was “overrated”
• One-half said that 2009 was “the year” for social media marketing
• More than one-half of had launched a social networking campaign in the previous 6 months
• Many believe that engaging with customers in blogs, microblogs and forums is more straightforward and presents fewer perceived risks

Online Activities of UK Users

• 87% of UK Internet users surveyed said that email was the most popular activity
• Almost 84% said they went online to find information about goods and services
• 63% of respondents (close to twothirds) booked their travel and accommodation on the Web
• 49% use the Internet to complete banking transactions

Online Activities of Internet Users in Western Europe

• The most popular activity online among Western Europeans is searching (87%)
• The second most popular activity is email (81%)
• 49% of respondents said they use the Web for social networking
• Instant messaging is the 4th most popular online activity with 43%

Advertising Spending Growth

• In 2008, Internet advertising spend increased by 17.2%
• Though the change won’t be as high, Internet advertising is still expected to increase by 11.9% in 2009
• Meanwhile, traditional marketing spend is expected to decrease in 2009
• The biggest decrease is newspaper advertising (-3.8% in 2008 and 4.1% in 2009)