Just how active are Filipinos on social media?

First we started calling our own country the “texting capital of the world.” Even fishermen based in communities with no regular electricity would text loved ones and business contacts.

Nowadays however, the Philippines is becoming known as the “social networking capital of the world,” or at least a major player in the use of social media. And the numbers back up that assertion. Over the last two months, I've written about studies that highlight just how much Filipinos are into social networking websites like Facebook, and social media in general.

What exactly is social media, you ask? In a previous column, I said that it's a “vague term that currently encompasses what people share on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Plurk.” But for those looking for a more definitive description, social media is just any online and mobile communication service that lets people share ideas and experiences with others easily. That's why Facebook, a site that lets people post status updates, publish photos, and “tag” other people, falls under the social media umbrella.

Last June, a consultancy firm based in London reported that “the Philippines has the largest amount of people who engage in social media activities, relative to the total number of online users in the country.” The firm's research showed that over 75 percent of Filipinos who are regularly online involve themselves with social media in one way or another.

During the first week of July, a statistics site tracking Facebook said that over the first half of 2011, the number of local Facebook users grew 30 percent to over 25 million. In other words, almost one in four Filipinos are active on the popular social networking site.

Then towards the end of July, Nokia shared the results of a recent survey of smartphone users. The phone manufacturer's research showed that 31 percent of Filipinos take at least one photo with their phone everyday, and 50 percent share these photos by posting them online (only 5 percent “send their photos directly to family or friends”). “Only the Chinese are more prolific... 33 percent [take photos daily].”

The growth of social media in the Philippines is even clear on sites other than Facebook. Last week, LinkedIn said that from January to July 2011, the number of local users for the site grew by 27.1 percent. That's the seventh highest growth rate among the hundreds of countries analyzed by the business-oriented social network. From personal experience, I know that many companies' HR departments now scout for new hires through the site.

What does all that mean? Ultimately, for a country with over 110 million, social media users represent the minority. Yet that hasn't stopped companies, ad agencies, and freelancers from taking advantage of the relatively new medium. Even as I write this, many “digital marketing” groups have job openings for community managers. They are people who can manage the social media presence of clients (such as the Facebook page of a brand, for instance) and interact with potential customers online.

You've also got companies like Globe who also want to promote “social media greatness,” convinced like I am that social media in the Philippines is a growth market. The telco recently announced the finalists for its Tatt Awards, “a series of accolades celebrating Filipinos who share [Globe] Tattoo’s fiery passion and who have used that energy to create a strong and unforgettable social media presence.” You can vote for your favorites at http://tattoo.globe.com.ph/tattawards.

The author is a Globe Tattoo brand ambassador.