As small businesses continue to look to expand, traditional methods of marketing should be supplemented with social media marketing. In August of 2016, a report was compiled by Robert Allen of Smart Insights that looked at social media users. It stated that in January of 2016 there were 3.5 billion Internet users; 2.3 billion of them are active on social media. Comparing January 2016 to 2015, there had been a 10% growth, or 332 million, of people who use the Internet and also a 10% growth, or 219 million people, of people who use social media.

From the Pew Research Center, there were surveys done from 2005-2006 and 2008-2015 that asked a person’s age and if they use the Internet. The survey found that 10 years ago, 7% of the U.S. population used one or more social networking site. Now, that figure has increased almost tenfold to 65%. Of those who use the Internet, a massive majority of 76% of Americans use social media.