Pew Internet surveyed 1,005 adults (aged 18+) during August 2012 and discovered that photos and videos have become key social currencies online.
- 46% of adult internet users post original photos or videos online that they themselves have created (Creators).
- 41% of adult internet users take photos or videos that they have found online and repost them on sites designed for sharing images with many people (Curators).
Pew’s creator group is made up of those who have shared photos that they have taken themselves (45% of internet users) and those who have shared videos they have created themselves (18% of internet users).
The curator group is made up of those who have taken photos they found online and posted them on a site that is used for sharing images with others (35% of internet users) and those who have taken videos they found online and posted them on a video-sharing site that is used for sharing videos with others (25% of internet users).
The proliferation of smartphones, and online sharing apps have created a boom for users who wish you share their real world experiences online. Today, photo sharing websites such as Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr and their respective smartphone app versions, make sharing phones easy and a frictionless experience.
The continued growth of Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr
Of Pew’s sample size, they additionally found:
- 12% of online adults say they use Pinterest, the popular social photo sharing site. Nearly a fifth of online women (19%) actively use Pinterest daily.
- 12% of online adults say they use Instagram, a popular photo sharing site used by young adults. Some 27% of the internet users aged between 18-29 actively use Instagram.
- 5% of online adults say they use Tumblr. 11% of young adults use this social blogging service.
The web has indeed become a more richer and colourful experience and marketers who able to find ways to connect to these trends will gain competitive advantages over those that still insist that apps such as Instagram are a passing fad. Women are more likely than men to use Pinterest, while Instagram and Tumblr attract equal shares of men and women
