Posts tagged social media marketing

Why HR Needs to Address Social Media

A new infographic from Compliance and Safety offers a multitude of reasons why HR needs to be more involved, along with examples of why it’s a good idea over a bad one.

Some of the statistics from the infographic include:

• 91% of recruiters use social networks. 
• Almost half of U.S. companies block their employees from accessing social networks. 
• While Goldman Sachs invested in Facebook, it bans its employees from accessing the site.

There are some interesting takeaways from the infographic, but the key message (and one that all brands should be seriously thinking about) is workplaces actually become more effective and innovative if social media access is encouraged.

Don’t let your brand be one of the archaic ones.

What Is Facebook Really For?

According to the data, Facebook drives 26% of referral traffic to business websites and those numbers are only expected to increase. About 20% of shoppers already prefer buying products through a brand’s Facebook page compared to its website.

Although Facebook users still use the platform largely for personal use, one in three businesses embrace it to reach out to consumers. Nearly 10 million registered small businesses have a Facebook presence, and 89% of agencies use the social network to advertise for their business clients.

Fans who follow brands on Facebook are also more likely to purchase items from the company than non-fans. With that in mind, about 89% of small businesses believe Facebook is a valuable marketing tool for their brand.

21 Social Media Marketing Tips

Today, businesses define social media marketing in many different ways. Some businesses see it as an extension of offline and online advertising. Others use social media as a way to interact with current customers. But no matter how your business uses social media, there is one thing you should remember: social media is a place to be social.

If your business has a presence on social media, but is not actively communicating with consumers, you could be missing out on reaching potential customers and boosting customer loyalty with those who already follow you on social media. This infographic illustrates 21 social media marketing tips your business should remember in order to get the most out of your social media efforts, and give the most to your fans and followers.

Social Media and ROI

All kidding aside, the fact that over 70% of marketers still qualify followers and fans as a measure of ROI is… shocking. Seriously. Web traffic? Social mentions? Here’s a fix: Send these people back to school. It’s almost 2013. We should be over this by now. Anyone who still thinks that way needs an intervention. It might have been acceptable in 2008, but not anymore.

Facebooking For Office

Traditionally, student-aged voters (those between the ages of 18 and 24) aren’t always so great at remembering to cast their votes. In fact, in the 2008 presidential election, less than 1 in 2 18-to-24 year olds actually voted. While the percentage of those in the student-aged demographic may not always be astute at remembering to fill out a ballot around election time, most 18-to-24 year olds are good at staying plugged into social media outlets. While less than half of that particular demographic voted in 2008, as of 2012 fully 98% of them have some sort of social media account with which they share content and connect to people. As social media changes and spreads, however, elections are clearly becoming a different game. For one thing, even politicians are making themselves present on the web, from Facebook pages to Twitter accounts and more. And for another thing, recent studies have begun to show that when it comes time to vote, the influence of social media can inspire younger voters (those aged 18 through 24) to get their votes out. Those who see via social media that their peers have voted become more likely to take the next step, and vote themselves. The following infographic takes a look at why social media might have become crucial to mobilizing the youngest generation of voters.

A History of Social Media

The very purpose of the Internet (every blog, website and virtual gathering place within it) is to let people connect, communicate, and collaborate.

So the concept behind Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking tools isn’t new. These sites just give us new, sexy, and easy-to use ways to do what we’ve always wanted to do online — exchange ideas and information.

The Internet has always been social, and it always will be. Still not convinced?

Here’s a handy timeline that might dispel any further historical myths about the true nature of the Internet, and where we’re all going with it, together…

Marketing on Instagram

What started out as a social photo sharing app is now a big market for marketing businesses. If you’re already on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you’ve probably noticed the growing emphasis on visual features. That’s what Instagram is all about. It’s the perfect platform to showcase your company’s creative side. Check out the following infographic, brought to you by Marketo, which illustrates easy steps your business can take to become a success on Instagram!

Social Media Scores Can Get You a Job

With the rise of LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, the most competitive jobseekers are developing a whole new set of networking skills. Of course, branding yourself as a passionate, but balanced professional can be tough. Who should you be following on Twitter? In which LinkedIn debate should you post an intelligent question? How “real” should you really get on your Facebook profile? As savvy web socialites continue to leverage themselves in life, work and love, there’s another sign that social media skills could help you win the future: social scores.

Scoring companies like Klout assign social media scores ranging from 1-100 to any user with a Twitter account, whether they ask for one or not. The scores are meant to measure “influence” online. Until a few months ago, Bieber and Gaga led the pack, even beating out President Obama. The internet community has scoffed at social scoring and the idea of measuring web influence since scoring started two years ago, but scoring companies like Klout are changing the game. Klout’s algorithms have improved and even some employers are using them as another factor in the hiring decisions. And now, it just might be time to pay attention your score.

Will Social Media Choose the Next President?

Anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account has probably noticed an increase in the number of political postings over the past few years. This is due, in part, to the explosive rise in social media outlets and users. But voters are not the only people who use social media; among politicians, 9 out of 10 Senators and Representatives have Twitter accounts. However, many are starting to wonder if social media is becoming less a reporter of political races and more of a predictor of the results. In Senate races, the candidate with more Facebook friends than his or her opponent has won 81% of the time. And one email sent to 60 million Facebook users prompted an additional 340,000 people to vote in the 2010 election. This infographic illustrates just how politics and social media are affecting each other.