Aussies Spent 30% More Time On Social Media During The Pandemic

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Coreena Spanos
By Coreena Spanos
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The average time spent on social media has grown by 30 per cent throughout the COVID-19 crisis; that’s according to a recent Social Media Census conducted by L&A Social, Australia’s leading independent social media agency, in collaboration with global data and insights company, Pureprofile.

The Census, which surveyed more than 1,600 people on their social media consumption patterns pre- and during COVID-19, also found that the increase in usage aligned with connectedness and community, with 60 per cent of people claiming to feel connected to friends, family and groups through the power of social media.

Founder and CEO of L&A Social, Gina Lednyak, said that while it’s no surprise that we’ve become more active online, the Census helps paint a picture of exactly how social media has supported Australians (in more ways than one) through such a challenging time.

“Traditionally, an increase in social media usage may have been viewed as a negative, but we’re actually seeing that 64 per cent of Australians are happy with the amount of time they’re spending online,” Lednyak said.

“This presents a huge opportunity for brands who are able to reach more people now than ever before – at nearly all times of the day – and hold a much larger share of voice online.”

Pureprofile CEO Martin Filz, said the insights found in the Census around Australia’s relationship with social media can be used by organisations to re-align themselves towards the new reality of 2020 and beyond.

“The increase in usage, coupled with the shift towards eCommerce, means that the commercial impetus for brands and businesses to understand consumer behaviour across social platforms has certainly become more critical.”

From a business perspective, the Census notably found that:

  • Nearly 1 in 2 Australians used social media to make a purchase in the past six months, with the average spend per purchase over the last 12 months sitting at $245
  • In an average week, Australians report spending 9 hours on Instagram, nearly 10 hours on Facebook, and more than 10.5 hours on Youtube
  • Australians follow an average of 14 brands on social, with the main reasons being for promotions and discounts (53 per cent) and brand or product updates (47 per cent)
  • Quality content (75 per cent), aligned values (66 per cent) and entertainment (62 per cent) are what matter most to users when following a brand on social
  • 43 per cent of Australians consume a majority of their news via social media, with 25-34 year olds more likely to do so over any other age group
  • Health and wellness products have seen an 11 per cent increase in purchases from January to June 2020

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