Conference Board: 43% of Internet users now in social networks - Triangle Business Journal:

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Of web users, 43 percent use a sociak networking website, up from 27 percent last the nonprofit global researcjgroup said. in its quarterly Consumer Internet Barometer. The most populafr site is Facebook, used by 78 percent of social network participants, followed by MySpace (42 LinkedIn (17 percent) and (10 percent). The survehy tracks about 10,000 Internet-equipped households It said seniors age 55 and older are quickl y increasing their use ofsocial networks, up from 6 percent last year to 19 percentg this year. Women are more likelty than men touse social-network sites (48 percent versuw 38 percent).
The majority of users log on at The ConferenceBoard said, with a quarter loggingh on at work, and 10 percent connecting through thei phone. More than half say they log on at least oncea day. ""Onlinee social networks are more than just a fad amonh theyounger generation," Lynn Franco, director of The Conferencew Board Consumer Research Center, said in a statement "They've become an integral part of our persona l and professional lives. They’re an effective way to keep in toucghwith people, connect with friends and family, and networlk with colleagues. "Social media will also transform marketing as weknow it.
They’re powerful communication tools, and are becoming an essential part of successfuplmarketing strategies." The survey said Facebook is equally popular among men and women, while women are more likelhy than men (47 percent versus 35 to use MySpace and more men than women (21 percenr versus 15 percent) use Users of the micro-blogging site Twitterd say their top reasons for are to connect with friendx (42 percent), update their status (29 percent), look for news (26 and for work-related reasons (22 percent).