Australian users hooked on social media activities breached the six billion mark in 2011, according to a marketing report recently released by Internet research company Experian Hitwise.

The Experian report revealed that up to 6.2 billion Australians have visited social networking sites, with dominant player Facebook luring the most hits during the past 12 months spanning from January through December 2011, reflecting the prevalent norm for the rest of the world.

The activities were mostly focused on users interacting with their friends around the world and even nearby contacts, with every stop on Facebook averaging close to 27 minutes, the report said.

But the report also highlighted Facebook users' current mentality towards the internet giant, mainly regarding the social media site and other similar Web sites as useful tools to easily reach persons that were normally difficult to connect with due to their location.

In terms of Facebook's peripheral functions apart from its networking features, Experian said that internet users appeared more trustful of other web services.

For instance, when a particular Australian surfing the net wants to gather more information about a particular company or brand, Facebook only accounts for 18 percent of users viewing the site as a dependable source.

That job, the report said, is better accomplished by turning to other sites known for dispensing quite useful information and according to Experian marketing services chief Matt Glasner, Wikipedia emerged as one of the top choices among Australians.

The online encyclopaedia garnered 25 per cent of trust rating, Mr Glasner said.

The result was not surprising at all, according to the Experian executive, noting that social media platforms were "designed as a way for people to communicate with friends and peers and this opportunity to engage doesn't automatically extend to brands."

"It's understandable that consumers currently lack trust towards brand activity on social media, and this is a completely normal part of the evolution curve of any new form of marketing communication," Mr Glasner stressed.

While Facebook was seen as a global hub readily accessible for millions to virtually socialise, brands or firms trying to cash in on the site's tremendous visibility across the globe have yet to actually appreciate its worth, the Experian report said.

"For several years, savvy marketers have known that Facebook is a powerful communication tool, but until now, proving its value to the business has been difficult," Mr Glasner said.

Nonetheless, as the popularity of social media sites continues to explode, it is expected that marketers will focus more heavily on increasing their efforts to be seen on the pages of Facebook, which claims to maintain some 800 million active users around the world.

Up to 58 per cent of brand marketers in Australia have indicated that their budgets for web exposure will further shoot up ever the next 12 months, Mr Glasner said, with players fully aware that "the opportunity to tap into this active audience is vast."

Yet at present, some 40 per cent of marketers seem unable to exploit the full promises of social media activities for brands they promote, the report said.

The key to generate more interests, Mr Glasner said, is for brands "to engage audiences on their terms through social media channels."

"To be a genuine and valued part of the conversation, brands need to be invited in and adopt a new, more social way of engaging with audiences," the Experian report said.