Brands and retailers should be investing time into social media according to latest research by global market research company Nielsen, which found that social media usage continued to grow 37 per cent from 2011 to 2012.

According to Nielsen, the rapidly growing social media market still lead by Facebook, has been “offering global consumers new and meaningful ways to engage with the people, events and brands that matter to them.”

Nielsen’s Social Media Report 2012 highlighted that US consumers spent 121 billion minutes on social media sites between July 2011 – and July 2012, with the computer still regarded as the predominant device for accessing social media.

Meanwhile, the increase in smart phone technology has lead to a 63 per cent increase in social media access on mobile devices through apps and mobile browsing.

Facebook remains the most-visited social network in the United States, reported as being “multiple times” the size of the next most-visited social media site. Further, 17 per cent of personal time spent online in the United States is spent on Facebook.

Nielsen reported that the number of social media networks from which consumers has continued to grow, and countless sites are adding social features, or integrations. Facebook and Twitter continue to be among the most popular social networks.

Meanwhile, Pinterest emerged as another popular social media site for 2012, boasting the largest year-over-year increase in both unique audience and time spent of any social network across PC, mobile web and apps.

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