When SHARE (South Hill Association for Renewable Energy) sent out an email about a FREE Social Media Training Session organised by REGENSW in Exeter on March 17th I immediately signed up.
I was fortunate to grab this opportunity as there were only 10 spaces on offer, made up of local Community Energy Groups the presenter was Mr Matt Young.
Many in the group were new to Facebook and Twitter so those were the areas we concentrated on, with a quick overview of LinkedIn. We heard that ½ of all online adults use 2 OR MORE Social Media sites. Pinterest is dominated by women where as Google+ is used by more men and Instagram by the under 25 age group. More seniors are using Facebook.
Some wondered why we needed these additional methods of corresponding, but the gist of it is, that’s where people are, if we’re trying to promote a Jumble Sale or sell a Widget or connect with new contacts we need to find our target and get the message out. Firstly it’s the message which is most important, what are YOU trying to say and achieve, identify the goal and who it is you’re interested in, the tool used isn’t important it’s how it’s used.
Facebook and Twitter are enormously powerful and allow us to find new audiences and engage with new and old alike in a different way.
There are more smartphones than toothbrushes in the world.
80% of people using Twitter are using a mobile device so your message appears on a small screen, so adapt your message, be compact and definitely make sure your web site is mobile friendly.
The number of adults accessing the Internet every day in Great Britain more than doubled between 2006 and 2012, from 16 million to 33 million. A recent growth in social networking has been one of the most significant changes to the ways in which individuals communicate over the Internet. In 2012, almost half of all adults (48%) used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
In 2012, 62% of adults aged 35 to 44, and 40% of adults aged 45 to 54 used social networks to communicate online
Thanks to SHARE I’ve increased my knowledge of Social Media. If anyone has any questions, needs to understand the options, getting started or promoting their business, I’m happy to help, or you are welcome to join our Networking Group to learn more.