YouGov launches social media tracker

Research firm YouGov has launched a quarterly social media tracker to monitor consumers' use of social networks and their levels of engagement.

There have been recent calls for social networks to put monetisation above growth in order to survive, and the report, the first part of research which is completed next month, aims to help advertising and media agencies understand user behaviour in a bid to increase monetisation.

The challenge for social network websites is to find a way to take advantage of their audience and make money from their product. Appealing to advertisers is an obvious route, but finding the best way to engage with those using this channel needs further consideration.

Obtaining a comprehensive, reliable profile of how people are interacting with social media - whether it's for staying in touch, sharing pictures or recommending new music or products - will certainly prove invaluable to agencies.

The research will be based on interviews with 2,000 consumers and will discover which social networks users are members of, how often they visit, and their reaction to the types of ads on the sites.