Digital Marketing Social media presents key opportunities for organizations to reach their target audiences. By / Jessica Kirby • Photo courtesy of Tim Eads
The difference between a trend and a fad is longevity.
A fad, like bottle flipping and bell-bottom jeans, is fashionable for a short time and then peters out, usually in less than a year. Trends, on the other hand, have staying power. They signify an enduring change in human behavior with the ability to influence markets and social norms. As social media use has become more prevalent over the years, opinions about whether it is a fad or a trend have wavered with the most extreme positions predicting its eventual fizzling out. But since Facebook was launched in 2004, the function, form, and importance of social media has only grown, securing its position as an important trend and a mainstay in social, political, and marketing life. When it comes to business and recruitment, this can only mean one thing: if you are using social media to reach your target audience, you have an important advantage, and if you aren’t, it is time to start. Lisa Bordeaux, consultant to the SMACNA-SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force, and Paul Pimental, communications and research for SMART, presented on digital marketing through social media at the 2020 Partners in Progress conference. 14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
“To best leverage social media’s reach, it is essential to understand who is using it and how,” Bordeaux says. According to the presentation, 90.4% of Millennials, 77.5% of Generation X, and 48.2% of Baby Boomers are using social media. “Sixtyseven percent of users do so to stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues, and nearly half of users are looking to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances,” Bordeaux says. “That says a lot about where people are getting information and recommendations they trust.” Because it has surpassed fad status and become entrenched as an influential trend, social media marketing carries with it a certain credibility. People trust what they see, though not necessarily at face value. In fact, 49% of consumers rely on brand influencers when making a buying decisions (see the Augusst 2019 issue of Partners in Progress for more on brand influencers). “Brand influencers and brand ambassadors are the people who can best carry our message because they are experienced and relatable,” Bordeaux says. “There is real power in that.” Users spend an average 2.2 hours per day on social media and messaging, which means there is time to get their attention. But
