Who's Who on Your Social Network

How many social networks are you on?  There are plenty out there, like: 

Facebook	LinkedIn
Twitter	Google+
FourSquare	Tumblr
Flickr	MySpace

                            and so much more! 

Now, how do you interact with everyone on each of your social networks?  

If you're a small business, then knowing the demographics of the people online should definitely be a priority.  Tailoring your social marketing efforts towards these demographics will hopefully increase your conversion rates and help you understand the importance of knowing your audience.  Here's some insight into the demographics on the a few social networks.

While I enjoy looking at infographics to help me get a broad understanding, I've simplified it down to the top 5 social networks (in the United States) for which small businesses should take notice.  

Facebook: 

(stats are based on population aged 12+ .... http://www.slideshare.net/webby2001/the-social-habit-2012-by-edison-research)

• 54% of the American population has a Facebook profile (up 3% from 2011)
• Avg. of 143 million Americans!!!
• 1/2 of these users are 45+ and make on average annually $55,000
• 25% of users check their personal profile page at least 5x daily
• 47% of population influenced on purchase decision from Facebook
• In 2011, only 24% said Facebook influenced their buying decision...HUGE INCREASE!

Twitter:

(stats are based on population aged 12+ .... http://www.slideshare.net/webby2001/the-social-habit-2012-by-edison-research)

• 10% of population on Twitter (up 2% from 2011)
• Avg. of 26 million Americans 
• 29% of users are using their accounts multiple times daily 
• This is up 11% from 2011, a SIGNIFICANT increase in usage ... TAKE NOTICE!!
• INFLUENCERS are on here.  Reach out to influencers to help you spread your brand BUT don't become a spammer! 

Pinterest:

(http://dailyinfographic.com/a-marketers-guide-to-pinterest-infographic) 

• 60% of users are Female
• This is NOT TRUE in other countries, example..UK Pinterest users are 56% MALE!
• 29% are btwn the ages of 35-44
• HUGE DRIVER OF REFERRAL TRAFFIC!
• Pins should give DIRECT URL to products
• FASTEST growth of a social networking platform EVER!

Google+:

(stat info taken from the Chase BIS event with speaker Tim Sanders http://timsanders.com)

• 67% of users are Male
• 42% are single
• 20% are students 
• Engineers are the 2nd highest occupation
• In my personal opinion .... jump on this bandwagon now & start building ASAP.  I think this will take off pretty quickly since BUSINESS PAGES have just launched. 

LinkedIn:

(stats are based on population aged 12+ .... http://www.slideshare.net/webby2001/the-social-habit-2012-by-edison-research)

• 71% of users are most likely to have a 4-year College Degree
• Average annual income of a LinkedIn user is $109,000
• Tip ... most businesses don't see the value of LinkedIn for their business.  Depending on your business though, networking can help increase drive and you should utilize this site to drive traffic to your business website.  These users have $$$$$!  

The Social Media Evolution

Do you remember the first time you interacted online socially?  

Mine was back in 1998, when I received my 1st computer.  I remember getting on AOL chat with my girlfriends during slumber parties and trying to see what guys we knew were online from schools around the area.   Yes, this was the thing to do in jr. high and no one was ever worried about us chatting w/strangers back in that day!  

Today though, Social Media has evolved into a whole new universe.  I attended a Chase Business Insight Seminar recently and had the pleasure to hear Tim Sanders speak on "Win Business Using Social Media" where he talked about the history of Social Media, and it opened my eyes to the entire evolution.

Did you know that Social Media has its roots in the 80's?  Tim Sanders (@SandersSays) talks about Listservs and the evolution of email (it went mainstream in the 90's when the Forward button was added); while also hitting on the transition from online forums and bulletin boards to instant messenger.  

All of these have given birth to what we know now as Social Media.  We now have email in the mainstream, Blogs instead of Online Forums and Bulletin Boards, and Social Networking sites like Twitter/Facebook instead of Instant Messenger…though IM'ing is still used, its not as prevalent anymore.  

I wonder where the next 5-10 years will take us now, seeing as how this evolution has spurred in only a timespan of the last 15-25 years!  

Photo Credit:

https://plus.google.com/+MikeElgan/posts/JQKboNWTMZM

http://trythisonforsize.wordpress.com/author/trythisonforsize/

Social Networking Platforms 101 - My Top 3

With so many different Social Networking sites online nowadays many people get overwhelmed.  Well, Ana is here to the rescue.  One of the things I ABSOLUTELY LOVE is reading (yes, I'm a bit of a book nerd, don't hate) and so what I've been doing lately is reading up on all the different Social Networking sites out there that actually are useful.  Whether for business or personal use, these Top 3 sites are ones that I recommend every person look a lil bit more into before just tossing it to the side as a "fad".

Note: Many of the you reading this right now probably have a working knowledge of the sites I'm about to mention.  I'm just doing a quick overview for the newbies BUT if you want more information about any of these, just shoot me a message.  I'm more than happy to share my thoughts and even give more info on books to read to learn more.

Social Networks:
1. Facebook

• Probably one of the more "popular" and "mainstream" of the social networks.
• Females are the majority user.
• Age range of most users btwn 45-54 followed by the 25-34 crowd.
• Average income = $25K-$50K.
• One of the most appealing things is that its free to join and you can probably find most of your friends/family on here.
• One of the annoying aspects is the integration with every single app known to mankind right now (I really don't want to play farmville or mafia wars or whatever new game is going on).
• NOT a good place to find investors.  More of a share your pictures/status updates/plan a party type of medium.

2. LinkedIn

• A MUST JOIN NETWORK for any working professional or college student.
• Considered a "professional network" rather than "social network".
• Male dominated.
• Age range of users btwn 35-44 followed by 45-54.
• Average income around $50K-$100K.
• It is free to have a membership but if you really want to get the most out of the site, upgrade to Business Plus ($49.99/mo).  You'll be able to connect w/a lot more people.
• Great network to learn from established professionals and to grow your network.  
• One of the better sites to find investors in a project.

3. Twitter

• Fastest growing social networking site at the moment.
• Male/Female ratio is about the same.
• Age range of users are 35-44 followed by 25-34.
• Average income $25K-$50K but slowly rising into the higher brackets.  
• Great way to send out quick bursts of info to a massive amount of people (followers) that can be spread like wildfire with re-tweets. 
• Business professionals are taking to Twitter, using it to find investments/investors and share ideas.
• I'm a fan of twitter because of its simplicity.

I'll go more in-depth to other Social Networking sites that are available in my next post, but these are my TOP 3 choices for every person to have when they first start out.  Each offers its own pro/con aspects but if used all together can be a great tool for any person looking to grow their business, enhance their online reputation/presence, or just a good way to interact with the world around them. 

What are your favorite Social Networking sites and why??

Connect with me on all 3 sites!!  I'm always happy to find new people to connect with and share thoughts/ideas.
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LXDoZJ 
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/KDPU2E
Twitter: http://bit.ly/MemXZv

Sources:
http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/social-media-stats/2011-social-network-analysis-report/#Linkedin
http://thesocialskinny.com/99-new-social-media-stats-for-2012/
http://www.socialmediainformer.com/2011/statistics/twitter/

It's time to find a job … Part 3

Let's get straight to the good stuff.  You've got your newly edited resume, you've reached out to your inner circle for referrals, now what do you do…??  Network some more of course!

Step 3:  Live/Breathe/Love SOCIAL NETWORKING!!!
Oh yes.  We're expanding the networking step.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 10-15 years, you've heard about MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, BranchOut, G+, Twitter, and so on and so forth.  You're even probably on one or more of these sites, I'm on quite a few myself (follow me by clicking the icon on the right sidebar).  

Now you're probably thinking how these sites can help you find a job.  You keep saying, "my friends on Facebook already know I'm looking for a job and they're no help" or "I'm already on LinkedIn but still haven't found a job".  My response…rethink your approach and try again.  There's a reason these sites are called social NETWORKING sites and not social "stalking/sheep throwing/here's my 12th status update of the day/I'll join and do nothing" sites.  You have to utilize your resources to work for you.  Here's what I  did to make each site work for me during my job hunt.

Facebook/G+:  I didn't realize how many of my friends were willing to share info on available jobs at their company, introduce me to people they know, or even just give me advice on places I should look into.  Literally, after a few seconds of putting up a post asking my Facebook friends about leads, I had so many comment posts that I couldn't keep up!!!

What most people do wrong in this step is just put up a status update telling people that they lost their job or about how they should get a job soon.  Stop telling people these things, their response is to be sympathetic; rather, ask for job openings that your friends may know of and they'll respond with useful information that you can use.

LinkedIn/BranchOut: This is a MUST HAVE RESOURCE.  If you're not already on either or both, sign up NOW.  I'll be honest and say that I haven't played around too much on BranchOut but LinkedIn has proven to be a great networking site for me and I've actually learned a lot in the process of job hunting.

LinkedIn not only lets you post your printed resume on its site, but it also integrates it into a virtual resume.  Your profile page lets you add more content to the virtual resume, which is helpful because it gives you examples to use.

One of my favorite parts of LinkedIn is the recommendations section!!!!  If you've ever needed a good reference, you'll understand my absolute adoration for this part.  You can request your former boss/coworker/professor for a recommendation post on your profile page/virtual resume and it will post for anyone who views your page to read!  Such a great way for potential employers to read all your accolades and get a sense of who you are.

I actually had a few interviews due to my LinkedIn profile; specifically due to the recruiter reading the recommendations posted from former coworkers and boss.  These interviews proved a great learning experience for myself too.  It helped me form a great "elevator pitch", realize where I needed to practice my approach, and experience new interview mediums like being interviewed via Skype!


Utilizing your social networks the correct way allows you to have a wider reach than one has had in the past when job hunting.  Don't just think of these sites as a place to reconnect with old friends and share pictures with family…instead use these sites to benefit you in the best possible way.

Reach out to people you normally wouldn't have.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  And remember…social networking sites are there to help you, not hinder you!!!