98th TRAINING DIVISION (IET)
SOCIAL EXPANSION By Capt. Elijah Swaim, 95th Training Division Public Afairs Officer
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ince its inception, social media has been revolutionary. Its roots can be traced all the way back to May 24, 1844, with the transmission of information using dots and dashes being communicated via the telegraph machine. Modern social media is even more groundbreaking. Social media has evolved from direct electronic
in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and currently serves 1.7 billion users from almost every country in the world. Instagram was founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom as a photo-sharing site and purchased by Facebook in 2012. Instagram has more than 1 billion users worldwide. Today these platforms exist under the Meta umbrella. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other
Training Division (IET) launched itself forward by expanding its social media presence onto two new social media platforms: LinkedIn (95th Training Division) and Twitter (@95thdivision). Twitter was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and others as a microblogging site. With the ease of communication between brands and users, one of the major benefits
As technology continues to grow social media continues to grow with it. The modern Army Reserve is constantly growing and expanding in an effort to stay up to date for our Citizen-Soldiers and the communities we serve.
information exchange to a virtual town square, spanning the globe. As technology continues to grow social media continues to grow with it. The modern Army Reserve is constantly growing and expanding in an effort to stay up to date for our Citizen-Soldiers and the communities we serve. The Iron Men have, for several years, maintained active accounts on both Facebook (@95thtrainingdivision) and Instagram (@95th_training_ division). Facebook was launched 16 | THE GRIFFON | FALL 2022
products and services. The 95th Facebook and Instagram pages have served as great tools to communicate the numerous events and stories of our drill sergeants. Additionally, serving as an amazing conduit with which the Division can communicate important informal information quickly. Our drill sergeants and audience have always made the most of our presence on these sites. However, we can do more. In August 2022, the 95th
of establishing a 95th Twitter is communicating quickly and concisely with our community. Civilian brands can use the platform to start and join in on relevant conversations, engage with their community, and build a loyal following. Simply put, anyone can reach out and directly tweet with anyone. Using this same connection strategy, the 95th looks to connect with and engage more with our past and present Soldiers, as well as the larger Army community. Many of our Soldiers already exist
on the ‘Twitter-verse’ and we’re just looking to build a connection with them. It’s an amazing way to instantly connect and share the 95th story. LinkedIn has been in business since 2003 and is widely considered the benchmark for professional networking social media platforms. There are more than 700 million users on the site from countries around the world, and each week, 40 million people use LinkedIn to search for a job. LinkedIn is where we see the most opportunity to return a real measure of support over social media for our 95th Citizen-Soldiers. Recruiters and hiring managers will often look up a potential candidate on LinkedIn after receiving a job application or resume. The 95th maintaining a relevant and interactive page offers the candidates a worthwhile connection. Many times, civilian employers never fully grasp the significance of military service on a resume. For example, Joe Recruiter at Company XYZ sees the platoon leadership on a candidate’s resume but doesn’t fully understand the importance of the position. Displaying the connection on a civilian-orientated professional social media site easily allows for Joe Recruiter to click over and see for him/herself the extra value added from military service. Additionally, LinkedIn can be a simple and modern way to keep connections that can be useful in a person’s civilian and military career. Almost like a 21st-century Rolodex. That person you met at a conference, annual training, or school five years ago may be working at your dream company, or that colleague from your first job may know the hiring manager you want to contact. With a quick message, you can reconnect and start looking for new leads. The 95th is ready to help its past and present members connect for the future. Utilizing these previously untapped social media platforms allows us to create a space where Soldiers and the community around them can share and show their support through a greater digital connection. It creates a space where informal information can be sent out quickly and easily. Having a presence on these platforms gives the 95th and our Soldiers the ability to take part in and build an expanding network with peers, leaders, and friends. WWW.THEGRIFFON108.COM
