Irish Consumers On Social Media – The Stats

Whether you are running your own business or are in charge of promoting a business online, Social Media is the place to be.

As a Digital Marketing Agency we are asked all the time ‘Why?’; businesses understand that marketing on Social Media is the done thing, but they want to know why they need be visible on social, and the answer is in the stats.

If you are involved in a B2C business it is paramount that you are aware of the behaviour of Irish Consumers on Social Media.

Digital Strategist Shane O’Leary recently undertook some research into finding out how Irish people are behaving online and we have condescended it down to the figures that matter to you; the business owners, the social managers and the social media hobbyists.

Facebook

There are 2.4 million (87% of whom regularly log on via mobile) Irish people using Facebook each month, if that isn’t reason enough to adopt a tailored and tactical approach to your presence on Facebook, perhaps some of these stats are worth noting.

  • 1.8 million Irish People use Facebook every single day
  • The largest age demographic in Ireland is 25-34 year-olds which makes up around 29% of the audience.
  • 70% of Irish Businesses are on Facebook.

So what does this mean to you? For starters, it means Facebook provides one of the most readily available and accessible audiences in Ireland with a varied demographic. If you are one of the 30% of Irish businesses that are not on Facebook you need to consider the opportunities you are missing out on.

Twitter

Twitter is the second most popular social network in Ireland in terms of regular usage and communication. It is often the first port of call when consumers have issues with, want to praise or simply want to learn about businesses. It is a more communicative and open platform than Facebook so it presents a real opportunity to get to know your audience and to engage with them. Here are the stats on Twitter:

  • There are approximately 700, 000 people logging on to Twitter every day in Ireland.
  • As a country, we send 1 million tweets per day.
  • The highest age demographic in Ireland is 15-24 year-olds at 53% of the Audience
  • 26% of Irish people over the age of 15 use Twitter.
  • 92% of Irish Journalists use Twitter every day.

While the number of daily users is significantly lower than that of Facebook the impact these users have is more notable. Facebook is considered a private space for most, while the majority of Twitter users are more comfortable with sharing opinions and interacting with brands. This is an important thing to be aware of for your brand as it gives you the opportunity to engage with consumers; personality injection is a must! It’s also interesting to note the number of Journalists using Twitter on daily basis. Many of these journalists are considered to be Social Media Influencers and could be worth building a relationship with; if they talk about your brand you are golden!

YouTube

YouTube is a great way to reach out to consumers, as long as you are providing something intriguing and relevant to your audience. Some stats you might be interested in:

  • 77% of Irish YouTube users access the site at least once a week.
  • 1 in 3 people spends as much time watching YouTube as they do TV.
  • 31% of Irish users view tutorial videos regularly.

Others

Of course, there is more to social media than just those three sites, although we recommend you carefully consider your Audience before committing to fringe social networks.

  • 22% of the population has a Snapchat account and spends an average of 1 hour and 43 minutes using the app. We have a feeling this figure might have crept up given the sudden and huge increase in Irish Snapchat users in recent weeks. 
  • 24% of Irish people are on LinkedIn.
  • 15% of the population is on Pinterest.
  • 18% of Irish people use Instagram with 43% using it every day.

And finally, the most important statistic:

Almost 70% of Irish Social Media users follow brands and businesses on Social Media. This means that there are huge opportunities to connect with and learn about your audience.

If you are unsure of what direction your business should take when it comes to Social Media, contact the experts. Our team has an abundance of knowledge and experience when it comes to social media and we thrive on helping businesses like yours excel online. Contact us on (01) 808 1301 or email info@emarkable.ie

Source: Download Shane O’Leary’s Full Report Here.

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.