The Power of Social Media Is Not to be Ignored

1997 may feel just like yesterday to many and for others it may seem like an eternity ago.  Either way, it was 26 years ago when many believe the first online social networking platform was launched.  Six Degrees, based on the “Six Degrees of Separation” premise gave users the ability to list friends and family and send messages within your network.  It only survived for three years and peaked with 3.5 million users.  There have been others that have come and gone such as Friendster and MySpace before the category began to mature and others started staking their claim as social networking leaders.
 

Today, 4.74 billion people around the globe use at least one social media platform, or nearly 60 percent of the world’s population.  It’s estimated that more than eight out of every ten Americans use social media.
 

The number of users many of the popular platforms have underscore the prevalence of social media in our society:
 

Platform              Estimated Number of Global Users

Facebook             2.96 billion

YouTube              2.3 billion

Instagram            1.2 billion

Tik Tok                 732 million

Snapchat             528 million

Twitter                 396 million

LinkedIn               310 million

With statistics like these, it’s clear to see why businesses have embraced the power of social media.  When used correctly, it helps firms grow brand awareness, develop better customer relationships, connect with people who have the same interests and share expertise.
 

As the usage of social media in business grows, firms are also better understanding which platforms are best suited for specific audiences and messaging.  A “one size fits all” approach is not effective and can waste time and money.  To truly harness the power of social media, it’s imperative to know the targeted audience and where to find them online.  Here is example of which channels are most preferred by various age groups.
 

The effectiveness of social media is a combination of impressions and engagement.  Impressions are measured by how many people see posted content.  Engagement is a measure of how people are interacting with social media accounts and content.
 

Both are important to achieving social media success as are the quality of content and reach by increasing the number of followers.  The reach of social media content can grow exponentially as followers increase.

Given this information, here are some questions to consider about how your company and its social media presence.
 

How is your company using social media to further grow its brand and customer relationships?

Are you using the right social media platforms for the audience you’re trying to reach? 

Have you developed a social media content strategy that provides your audience compelling information?

Are you integrating your social media presence with other sales and marketing tactics such as including links on your website, invoices, sales collateral, etc. to increase followers?
 

ASA’s Project Talent, a strategic initiative to further brand the industry and create interest from jobseekers is using social media as a primary resource to achieve its objectives.  When used properly, these channels offer an efficient and cost-effective way to create more visibility not only for ASA member companies, but for the industry and the attractive career opportunities it provides.
 

Please consider following the following social media accounts created to support the PHCP and PVF industry and its ever-growing need to attract talent.