Social Media Marketing Redefined By Science?

How science redefined social media marketing and recruiting..

When we think about social media, we think about something that we go to at the end of our day to take our mind of things, look at what our friends are doing, maybe read a couple of articles or simply see some beautiful pictures.

Related Article: Social Media Marketing With Big Data?

However, social media tool is a powerful tool for capturing audiences and many of companies have realized that. It is prevalent to hire people who are known as 'influencers', who have amassed a large following, to market various products or services to consumers. In the past, I have written that data has steeped into fields that are outside of the STEM space, thus making traditional non-STEM fields more 'STEM' like. The same is true for marketing and social media. Moreover, social media has become a popular tool for recruiting.

As a matter of fact, 41% of the Gen Z talent, which is the next group to go out in the workforce, say they like seeing ads from prospective employers on social media. Many recruiters in the space, do use social media as a means of recruiting talent. A survey found that 92% of recruiters use social media for their searches. Although various platforms provide a different feel and attract different content, almost all social media sites provide analytical tools for content. These analytical tools have made the space very scientific like. Based on the various data about the posted content, employers can understand whether their content is resonating with the audience they are trying to reach. Thereby this gives them an opportunity to better understand the talent in advance.

Related Article: Marketing Strategies To Transcend YOUR Industry?

Additionally, data allows for better strategy both for employers using social media to attract talent, as well as for the 'influencers' who work with companies to do social media marketing. This is because various platforms give slightly different metrics about engagement with an audience. Of course, many platforms charge for posting ads, which means that employers can better understand the return on their investment and tailor content that more directly resonates with a certain audience. As many platforms allow one to chose an audience range, this gives employers a targeted way to bring their message to their prospective audience. The same is true for marketing campaigns by using influencers, where companies can directly see how their marketing dollars are being put to use. This, of course, was not available in the past where such data could not be collected due to the absence of the technological advances that exist today.

Related Article: Marketing Strategies To Transcend YOUR Industry?

Thus, this means areas that previously have lacked such prevalent and real-time data such as marketing or recruitment, have now become transformed and revolutionized by it. The prevalence of data allows companies to use science to come up with more optimized, defined and targeted campaigns, and ultimately gives them better insights into their audience. Thus, we see that with our world is becoming more and more shaped by STEM, thereby making STEM-related skills ever more important non-STEM professionals.

Guest Authored By Dr. Anna Powers. Dr. Anna Powers is an advisor, consultant and an award winning scientist, lecturer and scholar. As the first woman to be awarded the Global STEM Leadership Prize for her work in Global Education, she uses her talent to help more women gain access to the fields that drive innovation. Her passion is sharing the beauty of science and encouraging women to enter STEM fields. Follow Dr. Anna Powell on Twitter.

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"Areas that previously have lacked such prevalent and real-time data such as marketing or recruitment, have now become transformed and revolutionized by it.

The prevalence of data allows companies to use science to come up with more optimized, defined and targeted campaigns, and ultimately gives them better insights into their audience.." -DrAnnaPowers

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  Post Crafted By:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

What You Learn From An Applicant's Social Media?

Six things you can learn from a candidate's social media..

As a recruiter, you know that war for talent is fierce. You also know the cost of a bad hire to your clients. Luckily in today's social media landscape, you have numerous tools at your fingertips that can help you paint a more overall picture of a candidate.

Related Article: Social Media As A Hiring Tool For YOUR Business?

Although you might think their LinkedIn is standard procedure, what about their personal social media?

According to career coach Hallie Crawford on career site Glassdoor, social media can help recruiters and hiring managers to get a more accurate idea of a potential candidate outside of their resume and a personal view into their lives. 

"A resume can tell them your qualifications, but your social media profile can help them determine your personality type and if you would be a good fit for company culture," she says in advising candidates.

Hiring managers you can spot a lot of potential red flags when deciding to hire someone — risqué photos, bad language, signs of drugs use — by doing a deep dive into their social media.

Here is a list of what to look for a where to find it.

Related Article: How Social Media Fits Into YOUR Hiring Plan?

Facebook

About Me - This is a good way to check if a candidate's description of themselves matches their cover letter and resume.

If there are major discrepancies you want to be careful of a candidate who can present themselves in two different ways.

In addition, pay attention to spelling and grammar to see how seriously they take those skills.

Photos - Checking a candidates photo albums and its descriptions could help you determine how professionally they present themselves.

Profanity, sexual references and drug references may be red flags to look out for.

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Twitter

Followers - Check how many mutual connections you have, are they following others in the industry.

This will be a great way to see what network and resources they bring to the table and are they truly interested in the job they are applying for by following industry leaders.

Tweets - Does the candidate share information on their trade, job or industry or is a timeline of trolling.

This could give you an insight into how they spend their free time.

Related Article: Avoiding The Social Media Minefield?

Instagram

Followers - By seeing how a candidate interacts with their followers on Instagram could give you an insight into their personal relationships and if they would be a good cultural fit for the company.

Photos - This is a good way to see how a candidate represents themselves, what they find important and do they share anything inappropriate.

Guest Authored By HR Academy. HR Academy from Human Resources Magazine: High-level HR strategy training workshops led by the world's most respected HR thought leaders and strategists. Follow HR Mag on Twitter.

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"As a recruiter, you know that war for talent is fierce. You also know the cost of a bad hire to your clients.

Luckily in today's social media landscape, you have numerous tools at your fingertips that can help you paint a more overall picture of a candidate.."

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

Social Media Shape-Up For Job Seekers?

Ready, Set, Switch -- Shape Up Your Social Media

If you're a job seeker who isn't on social media, you might as well not exist.

Related Article: Redesigning YOUR 2018 Social Media Presence?

That's a harsh statement, but in today's technology-based world, there's a basic expectation that you're at least mildly engaged online, especially in the business world.

Clients, employers, network contacts and even social acquaintances want to connect with you virtually.

So if you've been resisting social media, now is the time to get in the game, especially if you're in a job search.

You don't need to go so far as to consult your teenager about the latest Apps, but there are a few foundational things that will help significantly.

First, The "Why"

Related Article: Social Media Resolutions For YOUR Success In 2018?

Working Your Network

Contacts and referrals continue to be the best source for finding new employment opportunities and it's pretty difficult to network if you're not on LinkedIn when over 500,000,000 other people are. While you may be well-connected in your local geography, networking crosses global boundaries now, and the internet enables you to easily access that world. Don't limit your reach.

Information Sharing

Over 9% of companies reported using social media in their recruiting and hiring in efforts. While LinkedIn was by far the top online site, Facebook and Twitter are gaining speed. Some recruiters use the tools to research candidates, while others use them as vehicles for posting openings and sharing updates. If you're not following, you're missing out. Additionally, the Society for Human Resource Management found that 35% of employers were less likely to interview candidates they could not find online.

Related Article: Social Media Platforms For YOUR Career?

Getting Recruited

Passive hiring is on the rise according to 2018 hiring trends, and it's hard to be "found" if you're not active online.

To be competitive, you need to go beyond the basic profile. Your online presence needs to be intentional, showcasing your brand and demonstrating qualities that are attractive to your target audience.

The Undercover Recruiter recently reported that passive candidates are 120% more likely to want to make a positive impact on their new organization. With pressure to find stellar talent, recruiters are recognizing this and prefer to find YOU. They can't do that if your profile doesn't exist or reflects who you were five years ago.

Now The "How"

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Reconnaissance

Google yourself. Find out what comes up when you search for your name online. Is it a professional, updated LinkedIn profile at the top of the results list, or a DUI mug shot of someone who shares your name?

Also, check your social media sites for questionable content and clean up photos or old posts that are not reflective of your professional brand.

Even if your pages are “private,” chances are one of your contacts is connected to your new employer in some way. The world is getting smaller and that provocative photo at your friend's wedding in Vegas may have been hilarious at the time, but not at all impressive to a potential employer. In fact, 55% of employers admitted to reconsidering a candidate after what they found online.

Related Article: Avoiding The Social Media Minefield?

Rebranding

Dust off your LinkedIn and ensure it reflects your current skills, interests, and accomplishments.

Is it time for a new photo? Have you been remiss in connecting with new people you’ve met in the last few months (don’t forget the power of 2nd level contacts!).

Is your profile linked to an old company you used to work for or do you include dates that make it easy to calculate your age when you’d rather not publicize it? You don't need to, nor should you, include everything about yourself online. However, a few well-placed accomplishments and a descriptive summary will take you far. Bonus: A study by Jobvite showed that 65% of employers who noticed volunteer or charity work on prospective candidates profiles viewed them more favorably.

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Repurpose

Create a strategy to get active online to expand your brand professionally. Create a personal webpage, blog, or company page. If you've shied away from these strategies in the past, you might be surprised at how easy (and inexpensive) these things are today. If you're not ready for that, follow influencers online whose work reflects your value and interests, and then repost their content with your network, sharing your insights. Also, check your daily notifications for anniversaries, birthdays or announcements about your network, which are easy ways to stay in touch. Create Google Alerts that do the heavy lifting for you by bringing relevant information directly to your inbox.

Guest Authored By Dr. Dawn Graham. Dawn started her corporate career as a recruiter, and over the past two decades has been helping job seekers attain great roles from the "other side of the desk" as a career coach. A Licensed Psychologist and Career Director for the Wharton MBA Program for Executives, she coaches some of the brightest minds in business, helping them land competitive roles with a focus on career switchers looking to make mid-career industry or functional transitions. On her weekly Sirius XM radio show “Career Talk” (Channel 111), She's privileged to be available live each week to a national audience to answer questions on a variety of career-related topics. Her first book “Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers & Seize Success" is due on shelves in June 2018. Follow Dawn on Twitter.

Related Article: How YOU Become A Social Media Pro?

"If you still long for a life before texting and Twitter, you’re definitely not alone.

However, these are the rules of engagement in today’s job search, so find a balance that works for you and get in the game.

A job search is tough enough - why not tip the odds in your favor? Happy Hunting!!" -DawnGraham

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)

YOUR Social Media Bandwagon?

You have been invited to “link” to people on LinkedIn, “follow” people on Twitter, and be someone’s friend on Facebook, and to be a “fan”.

You also have been asked to join Namz, and Foursquare, Hootsuite and any number of other weird sounding stuff..

It is confounding, time consuming and here is the big question (with apologies to Clara Peller) “Where is the beef?”

Related Article: YOUR Social Media Business Presence?

How does all this social media stuff get business and generate revenue? All legitimate questions.

One word of caution- don’t just get on social media because you should, and don’t be ridiculous while you’re doing it.

I will confess- I am hooked on certain elements of social media. Not because I just like them but because they are generating results for my business. I have 21,680 direct connections on LinkedIn, and 15,770 members of my own private LinkedIn group Motivation Nation. It is the largest motivation group on all of LinkedIn. I only bring this up to show that I am doing it, and I have learned some key concepts I would like to share with you to save time on your social media learning curve.

1. Do you need to be involved with social media at all?

OK this really is the big question. In my opinion the answer is a definitive yes. Why? Well the numbers don’t lie. Let’s look at LinkedIn as an example. There are 300 million people on LinkedIn. Their demographics are high earners, college educated and 49% are decision makers. That is just LinkedIn. Many types of social media can be used for advertising, marketing, recruitment and research.

Related Article: Millennial Talent Recruiting Social Media?

I was meeting with a prospective client for dinner. The company is based in Idaho and that is where their office is headquartered. Using a quick search on LinkedIn I discovered their CEO lived in another state. So I of course asked about that during dinner.

My dinner guest almost dropped his fork and said “let me tell you- that is not public information.” He wanted to know how I knew that. I told him how I knew. I landed a new client. By the way, this information was not available on Google. So being involved with social media can enhance your credibility and improve your ability to do research.

2. What is your objective?

Just like any other initiative in business, there has to be a reason for being involved in any form of social media. Are you there to prospect, increase brand awareness, inform, recruit, educate? There are various channels on You Tube where you can post “how to” instructional videos. Gary Vaynerchuk has videos on You Tube called Wine Library TV- he is educating people about wine and put his business ( a local wine shop) into the stratosphere by doing simple “how to” videos about wine. One word of caution- don’t just get on social media because you should, and don’t be ridiculous while you’re doing it. It can kill your reputation. Here is an example - people who get on Twitter and send out a tweet that reads “I am having a slice of pizza.”

Related Article: Your Focused Social Media Strategy?

How is that going to generate business or build the brand? As a good example here a real tweet I got today: “Extreme fat burning workout and free DVD for our fans” (followed by a tiny URL Link) That is a message that had value.

3. How do the various social media channels integrate?

Huh? I am saying that if you are on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.- how do they all fit together? For example you can take a video clip and post it on You Tube, then using something like Hootsuite (a free software program) push the link of that video to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The link can then drive people back to your website. Now link all of that to an ad campaign. Mission Control- we now have integration! I have read about bakeries that massively increase their sales on a specific day by tweeting a special of the day. It also gives people a reason to follow them.

Related Article: The 7 Best Social Marketing Channels?

4. Figure out how to get people out of the closed loop.

In every social media you are on Twitter or on LinkedIn and the only way to communicate is through their messaging system. In LinkedIn you send an “In mail” on Twitter a “tweet”, on Facebook a “note” or an “update.” The owners of these devices want you to stay in their system. Your goal is to eventually get them out of the closed system into an open system like email or a phone call.

5. Know the rules and how they work.

Each social media is its own little world. They each have their own rules and guidelines and way things work. If you violate them your hand will get slapped. Some will even kick you off for violating terms of service.  If you are getting involved in some sort of social media, spend some time there first checking out the landscape.

6. Have a social media budget.

I am not talking about dollars- most social media is free. I am talking about how much time you will spend on social media each week.

A more important question is how much time will your team members spend on social media each week? Which social media? Some companies block access entirely. Let’s face we do have other things to accomplish.

Related Article: Understanding Social Media For Marketing?

7. Social media is “social” and as such you have to use finesse.

If you went to a networking event you wouldn’t just run around the room immediately “pitching” everyone- right? ( I hope not) in this case it is the same- you are networking with people online instead of in a room- across the region, the nation and the world. It’s a very big room.

So build relationships by helping others, provide advice, building relationships first. Relationships equal trust and trust equals sales..

Guest Authored By Shawn Doyle. Shawn is a certified professional speaker, author and coach. He's written 17 books and two have become Amazon #1 bestsellers. His life's passion is to make a positive difference in people's lives by helping them live to their full potential at work and at home. Follow Shawn on Twitter.

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"I do not think social media is a fad but a powerful tool that will more and more traction as a valid tool.

As older people leave and the younger generation employees (who are avid technology users) will be the decision makers of tomorrow.

The question is will you be ready??" -ShawnDoyle

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  Authored by:

  Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)