Australia

Social Networking and UGC

Facebook was the top site in Australia for the week ending 21/11/09 in the category "Computers and Internet - Social Networking and Forums, according to Hitwise. This category contains websites which facilitate online communication and networking via profile pages. This can include sites where users are linked through regional/social groups or specific interests, as well as more general online networks. This category also features forums.

Computers and Internet - Social Networking and Forums (All sites - weekly rankings for the week ending 21/11/2009 by visits):
1. Facebook
2. YouTube
3. MySpace
4. Twitter
5. Yahoo! Answers
6. Bebo
7. Tagged
8. Orkut
9. Windows Live Home
10. Whirlpool Forums

22.8% of traffic to this category was directed at domestic sites. (Hitwise Australia Newsletter - November 2009, November 2009)

10.9% of time spent online in Australia is spent social networking, which is up from 6.9% a year ago, according to Nielsen Online's global social networking report. The social network and blogging audience is becoming more diverse in terms of age: the biggest increase in visitors to ‘Member Community' websites globally came from the 35-49 year old age group (+11.3 million). (TravelMole, March 2009)

The number of Brits heading to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa is 20% higher than 12 months ago, according to the latest statistics from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Between July and December 2008, 20,851 Working Holiday Visas were granted, compared to 17,327 that were issued in the same six months in 2007.

The rise has been partly attributed to campaigns with MySpace and Bebo. More than 6,000 people clicked through from the MySpace Australia page to the Australian immigration website (May - September 08), and there have been more than 3 million views to date of ‘The Gap Year' videos that included specific Working Holiday Visa messaging on Bebo.

Tourism Australia UK/Europe says that these campaigns are getting through with their target audience and the results are showing in the increased applications for, and grants of, the Australian Working Holiday Visa.  Tourism Australia has been investing in the promotion of the visa for 12 months now, so it is encouraging to see more Brits are heading to Australia to experience the Aussie lifestyle for an extended period on the back of their marketing campaign. (Travelmole , February 2009)