10 consumer facts about Facebook

Facebook has become a cultural phenomenon over the years and an object of affection for marketers to connect with its users. Experian Simmons has put together 10 consumer behavioral stats based on their National Consumer Study and New Media Study about the social networking site leading up to its Friday IPO launch:

1. 39% of Facebook users say “this website gives me something to talk about.”
2. Top 3 reasons Facebook users visit social networking sites:
   • 86% to keep in touch with friends
   • 72% for fun
   • 66% to reconnect with/find people they’ve lost touch with
3. 78% of Facebook users have shown support for a group or business on a social networking site.
4. 34% of Facebook users have played games on a social networking site. Among those:
   • 73% play social games (like Farmville, SIMS social, etc)
   • 68% play casual games (like Bejeweled, etc)
   • 73% play games on a social networking site once or more a day
5. 28% of Facebook users with cell phones and 42% of Facebook users with a tablet computer have downloaded a social networking app for the device
6. Adult residents of the following Designated Market Areas (DMAs) with 1,000,000 or more adult residents are the most likely to have visited Facebook in the last 7 days: )
   • Seattle-Tacoma, WA
   • Austin, TX
   • Salt Lake City, UT
   • Portland, OR
   • Washington, DC
7. 15% of Facebook visitors follow a musical group on a social networking site, 14% follow a TV show, 11% follow a newspaper or news outlet and 4% follow a magazine.
8. The average Facebook user is 39.3 years old.
9. The average Facebook user claims an annual household income of $69,900 with annual household spending on discretionary goods and services of $15,500.
10. Hispanic users of Facebook are 55% more likely than non-Hispanic users to say they like to follow their favorite brands or companies on social networking sites.

Don’t miss 15 stats about Facebook, previously posted on the Experian Marketing services blog. . For more information like the data provided above please download the Experian Marketing Services 2012 Digital Marketer report.