Social Media Week took place September 22nd – 26th in 11 different cities around the world. The conference attracted over 30,000 people across five continents. While reading various reviews and highlight posts, I came across an article that really intrigued me. “These 7 Social Media Lessons Will Make Your Marketing Smarter” discusses the seven key studies that contribute to enhancing your social media marketing skills. Below I listed the 7 lessons and some key highlights pertaining to each.
1. Change of Mind Before Publishing Post
Studies show that users often censor their posts prior to posting. A study conducted by Facebook researchers found close to 71% of users have typed a post or comment but decided not to post it. Self-censorship effects the content and content value shared on social media sites. Users are often hesitant to share certain information on social media due to fear of spamming their fellow users. This challenges marketers to ensure the information they share on social networking sites is interesting enough to be shared by its consumers.
2. Emotions Spread Contagiously Online
Similar to how emotions spread from person to person, emotions are also easily spread online via social media networks. Researchers from the University of California evaluated the frequency of negative posts on Facebook to more deeply understand the spread of emotions online. Researchers compared the total number of negative posts shared by Facebook users on a rainy day to Facebook users in other cities. They found that the negative emotions posted on Facebook due to the weather were impacting other users regardless of if their city was also experiencing rainy weather. This demonstrates how effective social media networks are in communicating thoughts and information in a short amount of time. Marketers can use this to their advantage and efficiently communicate their brands value to various consumers.
3. Impression Is Made Within Seconds With Profile Photo
To successfully gain users interest it is crucial for a business to have an “attractive” profile photo. Businesses should display a clear picture of their logo or something else that is closely related to your business and/or industry.
4. Selective Sharing Is Preferred More
The percentage of users that choose to share “everything” varies among countries. 15% of users in the U.S. share everything or most things online versus the world average of 24%. Africa, Asia and Latin America have high rates of oversharing which directly correlates to the amount of Internet penetration and oversharing also present.
5. Social Feedback Presents A Better Sense Of Belonging
Active social media users connect with others through posts, but also by giving and receiving feedback. Users that share information as well as provide feedback to other users feel more connected online. This is important for businesses and companies to consider when they are posting and interacting with consumers online.
6. Inspiring Content Improves Social Sharing
Businesses looking to promote themselves on social media networks should focus on posting content that inspires users. A study conducted by Jonah Berger found users were more likely to share content that positively impacted them.
7. Oversharing Our Thoughts Is Best Way For Social Media Promotion
Social media users want to share their opinions, thoughts and experiences. With 80% of social media posts relating to a person’s own thoughts and experiences, businesses can benefit and use this to promote themselves.
Social media use continues to grow exponentially and has surpassed traditional media outlets. Although TV, radio and newspapers are still accounting for majority of the media time, consumers are spending more time online. These tips can help any business or company more successfully market themselves on social media sites.
*Image from Brain Box Lab.
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