How often social networking sites are visited?

Social Networking Sites - Frequency of Visitation graph courtesy of IPSOS.

“The frequency of visitation to social networking websites globally implies that many Internet users are no longer simply ‘trying out’ these sites, but rather adopting social-networking as a significant part in their evolving digital lifestyle. What will be interesting to monitor is the affect social networking will have on other online and offline entertainment behaviors that ultimately compete for a share of the consumer’s disposable time. We have already seen some effects of social networking cannibalizing other online activities in some markets.” - Brian Cruikshank, Executive Vice President & Managing Director (Ipsos)

According to the graph above

• Penetration of social networking sites is highest in South Korea where as many as 66 percent of Internet users belong to a social network.
• In USA only 32 percent of Internet users use a social network, 24 percent of those users visited within the last 30 days.
• 55 percent of Internet users in South Korea visited a social networking site in past 30 days. This is the highest of all countries surveyed, followed by Brazil (41%), China (27%), Mexico (26%), USA (24%), UK (20%), Canada (16%), India (16% based on an Urban sample), Germany (14%), France (12%), Japan (9%) and Russia (1%).
• In Japan, it seems that although 22% of users use a social network, less than half of those users visited the social network in the past 30 days.
• In Brazil, majority of social network users visited their favorite social networking site in the past 30 days. Similar trends can be seend in USA, UK and Germany.
• Social networking sites have very low penetration in Russia, where only 3% of Internet users belong to a social network, according to the graph.