Are We Overwhelmed By Too Many Social Asks? (INFOGRAPHIC)

When it comes to building a social media presence, there's one strategy that seems to be universal. You have to be a pest.

Social asks -- invitations on social networks to friend, fan or follow -- are popping up everywhere, and now there's research to prove it.

A new study finds that in a single month, social networks from Facebook to Twitter facilitate more than 3.34 million social ask mentions from across the globe.

The research, compiled by social media consultant Sarah Evans and marketing technology company Alterian, shows just how swarmed Web users are with these requests.

“We thought about how the social ask translates as a new virtual white noise – an inundation of social asks via print, television and radio without reason or rationale,” Evans explains. “To investigate, we created a series of tests -- and the online findings are just the beginning. Imagine how many ‘asks’ we’re being hit with in the media each day.”

For more stats and a few of the most interesting findings from the study, check out the infographic below:

LOOK:

Via:Alterian

Comments

[kintarius]

01:17 PM on 05/13/2011

Nice asks!

[Pink birrd]

10:44 PM on 05/12/2011

Am I the only one that gets sick of sh**ty newspeak slang? ASKS??? Is that the BEST you could come up with?

What's wrong with using the word 'requests'? What, too many syllables or not snappy enough?

[blyan]

05:58 PM on 05/24/2011

Stupid kids, get off my lawn!

[fmorere]

10:32 PM on 05/12/2011

I think that there is more "asks" for follow on Twitter than "asks" for friends in Facebook because of the policies on Facebooks, since you can lose your account if you "Ask" people that you don´t know for sure.

[DannyZuker]

10:21 PM on 05/12/2011

I for one would never do this. If you don't believe me you can see for yourself by following me on twitter @Dannyzuker

[cross hydrants]

12:01 PM on 05/13/2011

LOL!

[joebodolai]

10:21 PM on 05/12/2011

Think about this: what if Watson had been "unavailable" when Bell tried to "phone" him? Would he have given up? That's why he should have invented the answering machine first. In any case, varieties of social media we think are new have been around for a long time, even Presidential "sexting": What if the Internet WAS Invented Before the Telephone?

http://wp.me/pKBYM-3

[Dylan Jewel]

09:17 PM on 05/12/2011

People that aren't famous and use Twitter are already seeking attention, so this doesn't surprise me. No one does this on facebook.

[FrReader]

10:16 PM on 05/12/2011

You've never told someone to friend you on Facebook so you could keep in touch? Really?

[Deborah Marshall]

10:25 PM on 05/12/2011

You are correct in how you view twitter, I just started twitter and myself I can honestly say I am a whole lot more comfortable with my facebook page then with twitter, I follow famous people however, I try not to bother them because they get bothered enough and honestly most of the people I follow are individuals who I have the same interests as myself, hobbies, some political and media people of course books and magazines and anything else I might find interesting but as far as well known people like I said I think it is better to remain in the background honestly I have yet to have someone of any fame tweet me back so I just try to limit it to commenting on pics or leave a message on something they may have written.

[DonaldD]

04:24 PM on 05/12/2011

Actually I was doing it the old fashioned way. Connecting with friends and acquaintances. I have discovered I prefer Twitter to Facebook
http://twitter.com/#!/TheDonaldNorth

[BritishAmerican]

04:40 PM on 05/12/2011

I have no idea how to use Twitter. I don't get what the # sign stands for and when to use it. Facebook is more user friendly.

[blyan]

06:45 PM on 05/12/2011

I find it a bit ironic that you're linking people to follow your Twitter account on an article about social asks lol