It’s no question that social media has become second nature for individuals, especially young adults, across the country. Today, people depend on social media for personal interactions, business communications and as a resource for news and live updates happening around the world.
In recent months social media as a credible news source has become a heated discussion. With fake news and Twitter-bullying clogging headlines, it is clear that social media is taking a larger role in the news media landscape, for better or worse.
Further, the 2016 Pew Research report titled, The Modern News Consumer, evaluates the influences that new digital sources have on how people consume news, revealing that the public is overwhelmingly moving into a more complex and diverse news environment. The report shares that 81 percent of Americans get at least some of their news from digital sources such as websites, apps and social networking platforms. Moreover, among the massive number of people who access digital news, more than half prefer to access news via mobile devices than on their desktop computers.
Although many have turned to digital sources, the recent events around fake news reporting, coupled with Americans’ longtime reliance on traditional news organizations, reinforce the Pew report’s conclusion that ”the digital news era is still very much in its adolescence.”
While social media as a news source remains in trial-and-error mode, a large number of media consumers are currently active in this digital environment and depend upon social platforms for their personal and business interactions.
The infographic, 115 Facts You Never Knew about Social Media developed by Skilled.co, shares facts that illustrate just how quickly social media is becoming an integral part of daily life. In particular, several sections of the infographic outline key benefits of social media for businesses including, “How Social Media Influences Purchasing Decisions, Which Social Media Provides the Best ROI, How Social Media Helps with Recruiting and Best Time To Post on Social Media.”
I hope this infographic provides incentive for incorporating social media offerings into businesses and inspires you to update your current posting habits to best connect with your key audiences.
