These days Social Media is a bit like a well cut mullet, work in the front and party at the back. This mix of business and pleasure in Social Media seems to be on the up and up, and is the subject of this week's Friday Fact Box. 

Social Networking can often be an extension of business goals. (Image Credit: Luc Legay)

From All Academic Research: Emerging Gendered Behaviour on Social Network Sites: Negotiating Between the Pull of the Social and the Fear of the Stalker (May 2009)
All Academic Research conducted a survey on Social Media behaviour amongst the genders.

• Female’s have higher levels of privacy concerns when it comes to Social Media complaining of unwanted contact. However they also post more pictures of themselves.
• Women are more likely to use Social Media sites to keep in touch with their existing friends while men were more interested in meeting and networking with new people.

From Media Spot: Social Networking Generates Leads, Closes Sales for Marketers (April 2009)

Based on a Social Media study by Michael Stelzner from Social media Summit 2009.

• 88% of marketers say they are now using some form of Social Media to market their business
• 72% of those say they have only been at it for a few months or less.
• Those working for a company are twice as likely as business owners to be committing 20+ hours a week to Social Media.

According to a report about Enterprise Adoption of Web 2.0 technologies by Awareness, Inc.

• Employers are increasingly allowing their staff to access Social Media applications during working hours. Awareness puts the number at 69% of businesses in 2008.
• The remaining 31% of employers who do not allow the use of Social Media sites during work cite fears of “loss of productivity”, “lack of security” and “fear of having inappropriate content posted”.
• 63% of employers are using Social Media to build and promote their brand, 61% are using it to improve communication and collaboration, and 58% are using it to increase consumer engagement.

From Scribd: Social Media 2008 Statistics (2008)

• 77% of active web users read blogs
• 37% of bloggers have been quoted in traditional media
• 80% of bloggers write about product or brand news
• 31% of bloggers frequently post company information or gossip

From eMarketer - Digital Intelligence: Women Who Blog (June 2009)
Based on “2009 Social Media Study” from BlogHer, iVillage and Compass Partners.

• 53% of the US female internet population of 79 million actively participate in some type of Social Media at least weekly.
• Of the female Social Media participants, 75% take part in social networking and 55% blog.

From Search Engine Guide: Mixing Business with Pleasure: The Potential Peril of Social Media (June, 2009)

• The benefit of mixing social media business with pleasure include being able to make stronger and faster connections. with business contacts, giving a human face to your business and being able to build a following and a brand more quickly.
• The drawbacks include loss of privacy and having followers openly challenge you.

Also check out:

• The Friday Fat Box Category