Social Media users in India are expected to touch the 45 million mark by 2012
According to a study conducted by The Nielsen Company in collaboration with AbsolutData, almost 45,000 Indians are likely to join social networking sites every day over the next six months.
An important finding of the study is that social media in India is becoming bigger than email with Indians spending more time on social media than checking personal email.
Notes Adrian Terron, Vice President, The Nielsen Company, in the announcement: “Social media is now ingrained in the way tech savvy Indians live their lives.”
This has also significant implications for brand recognition. A fourth of online Indians recall brands using social media, the study found.
Even more interesting is the fact that a small but growing number of Indians present on social media sites claim to be following brands on these platforms. Says Terron: “Having a social media presence connotes ‘innovation’, ‘customer friendliness’ and a sense of ‘cool’”.
The study also found that nearly 40 million Indians are using online reviews to make informed purchase decisions.
Not only this, Indians also want brands to communicate with them using social media. The study notes: “60 percent Indians who are social media users are open to being approached by brands indicating that social media has the ability to change the dynamic between brands and consumers who are typically time-starved and may consider traditional forms of advertising obtrusive and undesirable.”
The study was conducted through an online survey on a sample population of 2000 people from all walks of life spread across top five metros and Tier 1 cities in India.
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