Research in the Netherlands has shown that its population is increasingly likely to use LinkedIn in the future, although all social networks are heavily utilised.

The study into 9,000 Internet users showed that just 8% does not have any social media presence at all, while just under 50% have accounts on both  LinkedIn and Facebook. Two-thirds also indicated that their Internet use is to increase or remain the same in the next 12 months.

The most favoured platform remains Facebook in the country, although the Dutch are becoming marginally less active on the site. Conversely, LinkedIn is enjoying increased membership and engagement.

The digital marketing research found that around 74% of respondents to the poll have a Facebook profile. This is an increase of 3% from the year before, but users are spending less time on the platform, dropping to 5.7 hours from 6.0 in 2014.

Meanwhile, 45% of respondents stated that they had a LinkedIn account, which is considerably fewer than those with a Facebook profile. However, many said that they were looking to increase their use of it the future, suggesting the career landscape in Holland could be improving.

For the other top three social media platforms, YouTube had a 29% share of Dutch Internet users, while Twitter had 27% and Instagram 11%.

The survey also showed that only 40% of users post anything to the sites themselves. Of this, 14% said they regularly posted anything.

However, it showed the importance of firms placing content. With the research suggesting that all social sites are increasingly becoming commercial over social, 32% of consumers visited them to watch videos, view pictures, and read messages and news.

The report also suggested that around 87% of Internet users in the Netherlands expect to surf the web about the same or more than they did in 2014.

Richard Bell

Richard has a First in English Literature and Creative Writing, and has experience writing fiction and short stories (which he has published both online and in magazines).