What His Social Networking Habits Say About Him

Anderson Analytics’ new study Social Media Use reveals just how deep social networking goes in the U.S.: 60% of the online population have used a site at least once in the past month. And far more interesting, the study exposes the differences between Twitter, Facebook, My Space and LinkedIn users. It’s the perfect first date opener, far more informative than, “What do you do for a living?”
 

So, if I ask the question, “Do you Twitter?” a yes tells me:
You probably earn a decent living. Twitter users make $58,000 a year on average. You’re entrepreneurial and particularly interested in news, sports, politics, personal finance and restaurants. You buy more books, purchase gourmet coffee online, and go to more movies than any other social networkers. All in all, you’re on the go, informed and fun. Sign me up for date number two.

Or, “Are you on Facebook?” If yes:
Unfortunately, all that tells me is you are probably married. There are 77 million Facebook users, so this group defines average. According to Tom Anderson, founder and managing partner of Anderson Analytics, "Facebook is average because it has the most users. When stat testing, anything near the average is less likely to be significant." Friend me on Facebook and we’ll call it a day.

How about, “Hey, do you use LinkedIn?” If you say yes:
Odds are you earn more money and you are on your way up.
Average income: $89,000, the highest by $28,000.
You’re in better shape, more likely to be at the gym, do yoga, or play golf and tennis.
Electronics really get you going. You’ve probably got a DSLR camera, an HD TV (I’m thinking 46” or bigger) with a Blu-ray player, of course, and home theater system.
Now I’m not so keen to know you may look for gambling and soap opera info online at nearly twice the rate of other social network users. So if you can kick the gambling habit, you’re good for a second date.

Last, I’ll ask, “Do you have a MySpace profile?” If he does:
Most likely, he’s not making the big bucks. MySpace users are the lowest earners of the lot at $44,000. On the plus side, you’re a social guy. You like entertaining friends, humor and comedy, and video games. Maybe that explains why you’re a slacker, the gym or any type of exercise is on the bottom of your list. But hey, you’re single and a lot of fun, so you get a second date.

Lest, you question this intriguing study, here is Anderson Analytics' methodology: “The study sampled over 11,000 GreenfieldOnline panelists over an 11 month period to understand SNS reach and overlap among the US Online Population. In May Anderson Analytics surveyed an additional 5,000 panelists of which over 1,250 participated in an in-depth attitude and usage survey. We then projected and balanced results based on key variables including age and gender. Importantly we identified “Social Network Users” as those having used a service within the past 30 days. This is a far more realistic definition of “active user” than those often shown elsewhere such as “unique monthly users.”
 

We’ve got in-depth reviews of these and more social networking sites. Or if you need more party conversation openers, try these posts:

If he Twitters, try: Amazon to Include Ads on eBooks

If he's on Facebook, try: Google Announces New Chrome OS

If he's on LinkedIn, try: Amazon Drops Price of Kindle 2

If he's on MySpace, try: New PS3 Bundle with Killzone 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4