This is based on a great video and report by Simon Kemp, a quick summary follows:-

Digital Adoption is Accelerating

"Now the big headline from our Digital 2020 July Global Statshot Report is that more than half of the world’s total population now uses social media 

Kepios research shows that 3.96 billion people were using social media in July 2020, equating to roughly 51 percent of all the people on Earth.

But these impressive numbers aren’t restricted to social media use. 

Nearly 60 percent of the world’s population now uses the internet, and two-thirds of us already have a mobile phone.

However, despite these already impressive figures, our research shows that digital adoption rates have actually accelerated over recent months.

Internet user numbers are currently growing at an annualised rate of more than 8 percent, with 346 million people coming online for the first time during the past 12 months.

And social media adoption is growing even faster, with the latest data indicating that global user numbers have increased by more than 10 percent since this time last year, with 376 million people starting to use social media since this time last year.

That equates to an average of more than 1 million new social media users every single day.

But the big numbers aren’t limited to user figures.

The typical global user currently spends around 40 percent of their waking life using connected tech, with the latest data showing that people spend an average of more than 6½ hours online each day. 

Roughly a third of that time is spent using social media.

Based on the data that we published in our January 2020 reports, humanity was set to spend more than 1.25 billion cumulative years using the internet in 2020.

Now that might seem incredible, but it quickly makes sense when we consider just how pervasive digital has become in people’s everyday lives.

Even if we just look at what people are doing on their mobile phones, it quickly becomes clear that there’s practically no part of our lives that remains untouched by connected tech.

In effect, our smartphones have become ‘remote controls’ for our everyday lives.

We’re using them to stay in touch with friends and family; to watch movies and TV shows and listen to music; to play games; to do our shopping; manage our finances; stay fit; and even find love.

So perhaps it’s no wonder that people are spending so much time online.

However, data shows that people have been spending even more time online since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the initial wave of lockdowns, when people were largely confined to their homes.

But perhaps even more interesting is the fact that many of us expect to continue with these new behaviours, even after the pandemic ends.

But what does this mean for marketers?

Well, as we’ve just seen, connectivity is helping people all over the world to make their lives easier and better.

And marketers need to keep that context in mind.

The real opportunity is to deliver similar benefits and outcomes via our digital marketing activities as well.

And that means going beyond using digital simply to deliver more efficient interruptions."

Interruptions being advertising.  Many marketers see "social media" and "advertising" as interchangeable terms, in fact social media and advertising are very different and the winners in 2021 will understand this.  Simon's video carries on

"Sure, online ads represent an opportunity, but the much bigger opportunity is to use connected tech to actively add value to our audiences’ lives, and to proactively help them to make their lives easier and better.

But with social media already accounting around a third of our connected time, it’s worth spending a bit of time to explore this opportunity in more detail."

What Do You Need to Do?

This October (2020) report by Simon Kemp outlines the extent that social media has become part of our lives.  

Worldwide social media users: 4.14 billion - 53% of the world's population use social media in other words, more people use social media than don't use it.

Simon"two thirds of the working population in the world is now active on social media."

says that

How much research do you need to convince you? 

MckinseyGartner say so, Hootsuite and We Are Social say so, Hubspot say so, Google say so, MIT say so, Trustradius say so Twilio say so .... 

say so,

All of this research explains, that the modern customer is online, the world has gone digital and sitting with our heads in the sand isn't going to make it go away.

A CEO Just said to me

In the past he would go to a seminar, hopefully look at the attendee list.  Otherwise, go up to people and get business cards.

He would then go back to the office, give the business cards to his PA and hopefully a conversation would come from that and maybe work.

He now says that "there is a race on.  First we need to shock people into understanding that the world has changed.  Second, we need to give them the skills to work in the changing world."  I couldn't put it better myself. 

He went onto say "By giving my team(s) “new world” skills will gives us a competitive advantage."

Interesting that he finished by saying

"The thing is there is a “burning bridge” and we need to make sure we are over that bridge."  

What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Research shows that your customers and prospects are online and it's time that you reached out and had conversations with them.  Not with the legacy methods from the past of interruption and broadcast (advertising, cold calling and email), but by using modern methods based on "permission" and "relationships". 

Everytime we run our social selling programs, we always get 30% increase in revenue and a 40% reduction in the sales cycle.

There are also some softer benefits, you and your team get a new life skill and as a leader you are providing the business with a digital legacy.  Supporting the transformation to digital for the business.

Here is a great example of somebody who launched his business during the pandemic, but is not laying people off but expanding. 

Where Do We Go From Here?

Just give me, or one of the DLA Ignite team and hour of your time and we can walk you through what we are doing for other companies.  No hard sell, just take you through what other companies are doing to transform, how they are getting competitive advantage and how they have made their way over the burning bridge. 

Please contact me here or one of the DLA Ignite team here, so please pick one of our industry experts or one of our experts in your geographical locality.  Our website is here.