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10.07.2015

SOCIAL MEDIA IN ARMENIA (2015 data)

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Samvel Martirosyan
Expert of the Information Centre of the Noravank Foundation

Social networking continues to develop in Armenia. The numbers of social media users grow, and their influence on public life and flows of information increases, too. On the other hand, it appears Armenia is approaching a saturation point.

The Russian platform Odnoklassniki.ru continues to remain the most visited social media in Armenia. The number of visitors from Armenia is between 900,000 to 1 million monthly (see Fig. 1). As seen from the chart on Fig 1 this website has reached a peak by attracting the vast majority of internet users, given that according to the recent official data internet users in Armenia comprised 50% of population in 2014.1


The number of Facebook visitors is close to that of Odnoklassniki.ru, although this platform continues to remain the second most popular one in Armenia. According to the data from Facebook advertisement system, the number of active users from Armenia is already reaching 800,000. However, the growth rate of the users’ number has declined. For example, in December 2014 the number of Facebook users from Armenia totaled at 740.000.2 From October to December 2014 the number of users grew by 60,000, while the growth between December 2014 and June 2015 (six-month period) constituted that very same number. Obviously, Facebook also is approaching its peak.

Other social media do not provide clear-cut data on visitors from Armenia. However, approximate estimates can be made. It is apparent that Youtube is one of the most popular social media platforms in Armenia, although most of the users are passive viewers and do not upload their own video content and do not write comments. According to data from the two main international platforms that provide estimates on web traffic and visits (Similarweb3 and Alexa4), Youtube is the third most visited social media in Armenia.

Based on indirectly derived data, the social media Instagram created for mobile apps also grows rapidly in Armenia. However, this platform does not have yet the extent of public influence that Facebook and Youtube enjoy in Armenia.

In the recent years a decline of visits in content-oriented platforms is observed. For example, the activity of Armenian users at Livejournal.com blogging media has dropped in the recent years almost down to zero, whereas it was one of the most visited networks in 2007-2010. This site was known to be a social and political content making platform in CIS countries, including Armenia. In Russia it remains quite active and its Russian audience is comparable to that of Facebook5 (see Fig. 2).

Thus, popularity of social media in Armenia continues to grow. On the other hand, their audience sizes are approaching saturation, i.e. edging closer to the total number of internet users in Armenia. Although according to the official data in 2014 the number of internet users in Armenia grew by 9.4%, but an “explosive” growth of social media akin to that 3-4 years ago can hardly be expected.6

1 Армения занимает 74 место среди 166 стран мира по развитию ИКТ и 9 место по покрытию сел 3G-сетью - http://telecom.arka.am/ru/news/analytics/armeniya_zanimaet_74_mesto_-sredi_166_stran_mira_po_razvitiyu_ikt_i_9_mesto_po_pokrytiyu_sel_3g_setyu/

2 Social Media in Armenia, December 2014, http://www.banman.am/2014/12/social-media-in-armenia-december-2014.html

3 http://www.similarweb.com/country/armenia

4 http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/AM

5 Социальные сети в России, весна 2015. Цифры, тренды, прогнозы, http://habrahabr.ru/company/palitrumlab/blog/259903/

6 Армения занимает 74 место среди 166 стран мира по развитию ИКТ и 9 место по покрытию сел 3G-сетью. http://telecom.arka.am/ru/news/analytics/armeniya_zanimaet_74_mesto_sredi_166_stran_mira_po_razviti-yu_ikt_i_9_mesto_po_pokrytiyu_sel_3g_setyu/


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