Social Media Posts Impact Hiring Decisions

In study after study, we’ve seen that  digital natives are much more comfortable with social media networking than those in older age groups and that Millennials have become “tethered” to the devices providing them with 24/7 virtual connectivity.

Meanwhile, other research has shown that employers are increasingly turning to social media when determining whether or not to hire a specific applicant.

So, here’s the question:

Could these two trends be heading towards a “social media cliff,” of sorts, a combination of factors with the potential to seriously backfire on tech-savvy young people?

The answer is unequivocally “yes,” according to a new study conducted by AVG Technologies.

As younger generations use social networks to share and bare more and more about themselves, employers are mining those same networks for background information on job applicants, leaving many young job seekers at risk of unwittingly disqualifying themselves from choice positions.

The study canvassed 230 human resource professionals in the U.S. and United Kingdom, as well as 4,400 adults aged 18-25.  The research showed that companies are becoming increasingly adept at tracking down background information regarding prospective employees online, while at the same time, an incredibly large percentage of young adults are demonstrating a complete lack of judgment when it comes to managing their online reputations.  The result?  Social media posts are costing young career seekers access to jobs they might otherwise be qualified for.

Take a look at these findings:

90 Percent of Small Businesses Are Networking Online

Small businesses are continuing to embrace online marketing and networking as essential tools for attracting new clients and customers. But, small business owners remain somewhat overwhelmed by the various digital marketing options now available.

According to a recent poll of more than 600 small business owners nationwide, nine out of 10 indicated they network online, and nearly 75 percent found virtual networking was as effective as networking face-to-face, if not more so.

In addition, nearly 80 percent of those surveyed stated that they obtained at least one-quarter of their new customers through online marketing efforts, with 5 percent claiming that all of their new customers came as a result of promoting their business via web channels.

With millions of Americans already shopping online –and more projected to do so in the future –it appears that small business owners realize how essential it is to have an online presence.

“Small businesses understand they need to go where their audience is,” explained Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta, the company that conducted the survey.  “Participating, networking and being found online is extremely important today in growing their business, so it’s not surprising that they are embracing the channel.”

Of course, recognizing the importance of online marketing and implementing a successful digital marketing strategy are two different matters. 

Study: Photos, Videos Are Key Social Currencies Online

As everyone knows, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”   So, is that why posting photos and videos is now so popular on social media networks? (Or do people just really, really, really like cats?)

Interestingly enough, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, social media users fall into two distinct picture-posting subgroups: creators and curators.

Creators are those who take their own photos or make their own videos, and then share them on sites like Facebook, Pinterest or Tumblr, or through using photo sharing apps like Instagram.

Curators, on the other hand, pass along images others have taken, sending them to their social media friends and followers.

More than half of all U.S. internet users are either creators or curators; nearly one-third have performed both roles.

In a recent study of this topic, the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project sponsored a phone survey of more than 1,000 American adults. The survey included questions about photo and video sharing and the sites where these activities are most popular (with the exception of YouTube, which for whatever reason was not specifically included in this research initiative).

The findings are relevant to all social media marketers.  For example, the results showed that:

Google+ Beats Facebook in American Customer Satisfaction Index

The popularity of a social media platform doesn’t always correlate with high customer satisfaction . . . just take a look at what happens when you do a side-by-side comparison of Facebook and Google+.

While Facebook users continue to far outnumber those with Google+ accounts (by many, many millions), Google+ can now boast a higher rating in customer satisfaction.  In its most recent ranking of e-business performance, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) found that Google+ users expressed a much higher level of satisfaction than Facebook users did.  More specifically: 

Seven in Ten Fortune 500 CEOs Have No Social Media Presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Google+

Several weeks ago, I shared the encouraging results of a study that indicated corporate CEOs were finally starting to “get” social media.

But now, new research sponsored by Domo and CEO.com reminds us that “getting it” and “doing it” aren’t the same thing . . . at all.

In fact, this latest study found that social media engagement by the CEOs of America’s 500 largest revenue generating corporations lags well behind that of the general public –and well behind leaders of non-Fortune 500 organizations, too.

With the exception of LinkedIn, where they comprise a greater percentage than the rest of the country (26 versus 20 percent), Fortune 500 CEOs have an abysmal social media presence.  Just take a look at these numbers: