In my last post, I talked about how all communication is not equal: that to get through to people, you need to reach out to them via their preferred mode of communication - be it phone, text, email, social network, letter, smoke signal, carrier pigeon, primal screaming, whatever. Just as important as what you say to them is how you say it to them/what they listen to.
This is crucial in both our personal and professional lives, but in this post I want to focus on the professional side, specifically regarding social networking.
Because if you’re trying to build a career or a business and you’re not utilizing the power of social media, the world is quite literally passing you by.
This is no longer a matter of style or preference, any more than deciding whether you want to get your food from the supermarket or go out and hunt for it is.
My point is, if you’re not promoting and networking on social media, you might as well be building your business - or your career - in the woods, alone, with your hands tied behind your back.
Read the following statistics and I think you’ll see what I mean:
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56% of Americans have a profile on a social networking site.
- This is up from 52% last year and 48% the year before.
- In other words, this “trend” isn’t going anywhere but up.
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It’s not just “young people.”
- 55% of Americans 45-54 have a profile on a social networking site.
- In fact, from 2011-2012, this age cohort experienced bigger
growth than any other.
- 22% of Americans use social networking sites *several times per day*.
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The sheer number of social network users worldwide is staggering:
- Facebook: 901 million (7+ billion(!) unique monthly visits)
- Twitter: 555 million (182.1 million)
- LinkedIn: 150 million (85.7 million)
- Pinterest: 11.7 million (104.4 million)
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Users 45 years of age and older:
- Facebook: 19%
- Twitter: 26%
- Linkenin: 25.5%
- Pinterest: 36%
Further food for thought:
- 6 billion people inhabit the earth. 4.8 billion have a mobile phone. 4.2 billion own a toothbrush.
- 56% of consumers say they’re more likely to recommend a brand to a friend after becoming a fan of it on Facebook.
- There are more than 3.5 billion pieces of content shared each week on Facebook.
- 64% of Americans stream mobile video at work.
- 33% of people say they would choose a job that offers social media freedom, device flexibility and work mobility over a similar job that offers higher salary.
- 65% of adult internet users use a social networking site.
(Sources: Convince & Convert, Digital Buzz Blog, TweetSmarter)
As you can see, the social networking train has left the station. It’s gaining steam, and covering more ground every day, every second that you read this very post.
Are you on board?
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