The recent 72 Fascinating Social Media Stats post on JeffBullas.com was one of my post popular guest posts ever, so here is an entirely new set of social media stats, facts and research findings. 60% of people who use three or more digital means of research for product purchases learned about a specific brand or retailer from a social networking site. Research shows that keywords which increase the likelihood of retweeting include “please,” “thank you,” “Twitter,” “social media” and “you.” Marketing Pilgrim ). MORE >>

While a dwindling number of business executives still dismiss Twitter as a waste of time, recent research suggests it is one of the most valuable social networks for business. And 52% of journalists say they use Twitter to research stories and discover what’s hot. Nick Bilton reports on how researchers from Northeastern University and Harvard have analyzed Twitter messages to keep tabs on the nation’s mood. Although fewer Americans use Twitter than Facebook, Twitter users “are far more likely to follow Brands/ Companies than social networkers in general. Crabs. MORE >>

Quoting a recent study from Cision and George Washington University, Todd Defren reports that “an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories. Specifically, 89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter.” Social media has fundamentally altered the practice of public relations. Like what? Will Traditional, Social Media Blend? by MediaPost Marketing Daily Commentary. How Is PR Changing? Digg this! MORE >>

Consider that, according to recent findings from the Pew Research Center: • 86% of adults own a mobile phone (the percentage is even higher among business professionals), and more than half of them use their phones to access the Internet. So, use Google’s keyword research tool to analyze mobile-specific search phrases. Mobile web search is no longer of importance only to restaurants and retailers seeking to bring in more local street traffic. It’s rapidly becoming imperative even for the big-data, desktop-centric B2B world. Smart phones now outsell PCs. MORE >>

According to research from MarketingSherpa, just 12% of marketers rate social media as “very effective” for lead gen while 27% say it is “not effective.” 78% of Internet users say they use the web for product research, and almost half (46%) of all searches on the average day for information on products and services ( iMedia Connection ). The most popular use of LinkedIn is for researching people and companies (77%). The first step to improving digital marketing results is to understand the emerging trends and best practices. e-Strategy Trends ). MORE >>