Social media reach has tripled over the past seven years: IPSOS Survey

Every entrepreneur has been advised to have a social media presence at some point when the marketing topic comes up. And over the last couple of years, the need to have a good social media presence has only been emphasized as the world experienced a shift into the digital space more than ever. 

With the new data released by IPSOS, the social media agenda has only been pushed harder as it shows social media usage has tripled in the last seven years overtaking traditional media. 

According to the Kenya Media Establishment Survey 2022, mobile devices have significantly changed the media environment, with ownership rising from 79% to 95% and smartphone ownership rising from 19% to 51%.

According to Chris Githaiga, Kenya’s IPSOS Managing Director, since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, Kenya has experienced rapid growth and diversity in media touch points.

IPSOS discovered that social media is primarily responsible for the more than threefold increase in internet usage from 13% to 46%. 

“We also discovered that social applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google are debasing more quickly as newer applications like Betting, TikTok, Telegram, and Opera become more attractive to the youth,” Githaiga. 

In the last couple of years, consumers’ needs and wants have changed, and keeping up with the market trends has shown the importance of staying ahead of the curve. Githaiga noted that this survey would be crucial in assisting businesses in keeping up with the shifting needs and behaviors of consumers.

Increasing your social media presence as a business calls for understanding your audience. Understanding your online target audience helps you keep pace with the changing consumer needs and behavior to adapt accordingly and stay ahead of the competition. Its simply moving to where your audience is moving to and meeting their needs where they are.