In an ever-changing social media landscape, it’s key to stay up to speed with trends in order to predict audience behavior, identify top tactics and develop a holistic strategy that delivers the performance you seek. And with social channels that change their algorithms about as often as Kardashians change their wardrobe, we’ve pulled together critical social media statistics that impact how you should approach your content marketing channel strategy. Take a look at the complete list or jump down to the channel you’re interested in to learn more.
Used mainly as a professional networking site, LinkedIn continues to provide candidates with key company information, job listings, networking opportunities and groups to facilitate the building of professional relationships. As a primary vehicle for recruiters to scout and communicate with prospects, LinkedIn also showcases a company’s employer brand and can be a tool to activate employees, consumers, fans and candidates alike.
There are more 546 million LinkedIn users in over 200 countries. (LinkedIn)
With over half a billion users, LinkedIn definitely brings much of the globe together. This diverse audience has the ability to interact in groups and on company pages alike.
More users are over 30 (61% between 30-64) than under (23% between 18-29). (HubSpot)
With more users over the age of 30, it’s important to leverage LinkedIn for more experienced roles than entry-level positions. If you’re looking to target Millennials, recent graduates or entry-level positions, other platforms may be your better bet. It’s also important to understand that some industries are underrepresented on the platform, so there’s a chance your audience is less active or spending time elsewhere.
Users spend 17 minutes on average per month. (Sprout Social)
One of the most surprising realizations around LinkedIn is how much the average user actually spends logged into the platform: 17 whole minutes per month. That adds up when you think about what the platform offers a user versus other platforms. LinkedIn’s specific hold on professional networking keeps users focused on getting in to tackle their tasks and then getting out. With that in mind, it’s important to be targeted in how you incorporate LinkedIn to your overall strategy by providing the information your audience is looking for.
98% of posts with images get more comments, and posts with links get 200% higher engagement. (Sprout Social)
Similar to other social channels, visual aesthetics reign supreme even on LinkedIn. Just as you share interested imagery on Facebook and Instagram, so should you on LinkedIn. And with native video rolling out this year, video engagement will likely follow suit.
As a storytelling platform, Facebook offers a way for corporations to showcase their employer brand on careers-dedicated channels and engage with audiences in a number of engaging, creative ways. It also serves as an ideal platform for employees and ambassadors to share company culture content with their peers, and has the potential to reach a more passive job seeker audience.
Facebook is the most popular network with 79% of internet users in the U.S. (Pew Research)
Facebook has long owned the social channel popularity contest. This is due not only to the fact that Facebook is the second oldest of the social giants still standing today (slightly younger than LinkedIn), but to the platform’s number of features. From personal timelines to private groups to peer-to-peer messaging and more, Facebook packs a punch in functionality that appeals to the majority of the internet.
68% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 are on Facebook. (Sprout Social)
In the U.S., nearly 70% of Millennials adults use Facebook, which has an appeal for companies seeking to tap into this maturing audience. Need to target college students and recent grads? Make sure to include this platform into your overall strategy.
More than 50 million businesses have a business page. (Forbes)
No longer is Facebook Business only for the big boys. Small- and medium-sized companies are joining the ranks in large part due to recent tools the platform has rolled out. Facebook Jobs was introduced to give mom-and-pop shops a way to showcase opportunities and tap into their fans without the cumbersome features of other options. Messenger also creates a space for one-on-one connections that are easier to manage than other channels, including email. And Facebook’s advertising products are simple, easy to use and relatively low risk to experiment with.
That said, if you’re not on Facebook, you’re likely one of the remaining few. If your audience is large enough (specifically speaking of enterprise companies), it’s recommended that you create a separate careers-only channel where your talent audience can find and engage with your employer brand messaging.
100 million hours of video is viewed daily. (Facebook)
Video content is consumed a lot on Facebook. And this is not surprising, as the company took a stake in video in 2016, with Mark Zuckerberg saying he “wouldn’t be surprised if you fast-forward five years and most of the content that people see on Facebook and are sharing on a day-to-day basis is video.” With that move, the platform’s algorithm showed more live video broadcasts higher up in news feeds, pushing video content front and center. Developing and integrating video content into your strategy may reap large engagement dividends given Facebook’s increased desire to drive audience interest.
Only 20% of posts generate an emotional response, while no ads do. (AdEspresso)
Ads just don’t do it for people anymore. In fact, ad-blocking usage was up 40% last year on laptops and 15% on mobile. Partly this is due to the disruptive and often irrelevant nature of ads in the first place. Cue authentic, resonating content to stage right. However, more interesting is that only 20% of social posts generate an emotional response. A combination could be at play: Most posts are short and sweet, leaving little to tug at the audience’s heart strings, and many companies still use a stiff, corporate voice and tone when engaging users. Opt for conversational tones and stories from your employees to bring that authenticity forward for a greater chance at an emotional response.
Of all the social channels, Twitter remains a relatively open network where users share content publicly with the Twitterverse. That means it can be relatively easy not only to find someone (like a prominent journalist, key industry leader or top prospect), but to open a dialogue with them one on one. In the talent acquisition space, Twitter offers an opportunity for recruiters to tap into ongoing conversations by following relevant hashtags and engaging candidates. Employees also can amplify employer brand messaging by sharing through their personal accounts.
About 20% of users are from North America. (Pew Research)
Twitter’s user base skews more globally, with only a fifth hailing from North America. As a historically short, text-based platform, its adoption is relatively easy no matter where you’re from.
81% of Millennials view their account on a daily basis. (Twitter)
As they check in once a day, most Millennial users scan through their timeline, catching up on whatever they missed. The more accounts they follow, the more content appearing in their feed. Additionally, users are checking their accounts at various times of the day and in various time zones. To get in front of them, you need to distribute your content at different times and days of the week, and re-share top stories to ensure they happen to scroll by your post at their next log in.
82% of monthly active users access via mobile. (SocialPilot)
Mobile is the device of choice for Twitter users, often checking while they’re on the go. Keeping the mobile experience in mind as you craft your message will make it more likely that active users engage and interact with that content. Visually appealing and striking images and video are both options for doing this.
Users engage with long-form content 24% longer than short-form content. (Pew Research)
This is one time more content is better—with longer-form content on Twitter yielding higher engagement, specifically on mobile. Even though shorter content is more prevalent, there may be advantages to showcasing longer-form content, especially when the message warrants it.
Tweets with images are 150% more likely to get retweets (Adweek) and receive 18% more clicks than those without. (WordStream)
Similar to other channels, tweets with images garner higher engagement in both retweets and clicks than those without. Images due stand out when scrolling through the typical Twitter timeline. Not including a visual likely results in your post being missed altogether. Take a spin through your own timeline and you’ll be hard pressed to find many text-only examples that catch your attention.
With aesthetically striking images and videos, Instagram provides an opportunity to expose viewers to all elements of corporate life and culture through community-sourced content. Employees can not only contribute to the overall collected works of an employer brand but also amplify that content by re-sharing on their personal accounts. Authentic content can tell the true behind-the-scenes story and offer proof points to brand message concepts.
Most users are 18-29, with 90% of users younger than 35. (Pew Research)
It’s not surprising that most Instagram users are of the Millennial generation. Since this group prefers visual content (including GIFs and emojis) to communicate over other content types, the platform perfectly fits their visual-sharing nature. Tapping into Instagram is ideal if you have the kind of content that works well on the channel—clean, crisp imagery and eye-catching images where the audience can see themselves in the environments depicted.
35% of users check their accounts multiple times a day; 51% open the app daily. (WordStream)
With such an active and engaged user base, Instagram is ripe for audience targeting. Just like on Twitter, posting often also ensures your audience sees your content and has the opportunity to engage with it.
Monday is the best day to post for engagement. (Sprout Social)
If you’re looking to boost engagement, Monday is your best bet. As with any recommended metric, the true test is seeing how your audience engages throughout the week and determining which day supports what you’re trying to accomplish.
Posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement (SocialPilot), and more than 91% of posts are photos. (Adweek)
Hashtags offer users the opportunity to tap into existing audiences and follow the conversations that matter most to them. Posts with hashtags broaden reach among not only your followers but new people as well. Not surprisingly, most content on Instagram consists of photos; however, with the ability to take quick video, over time this percentage may change.
Stories receive 35% more views for brands compared to Snapchat stories. (Adweek)
Instagram has given Snapchat a run for its money when it comes to Stories, with Instagram users wholeheartedly embracing the new functionality. Brands’ reach leveraging stories has a bigger impact on Instagram in turn.
GLASSDOOR
As the largest job site in the U.S., according to Comscore Media Metrix, Glassdoor provides a showcase for employers’ brand position and company culture. With reviews, job opportunities and content, job seekers get a thorough look into what it’s like to work at the company. The platform’s company profile provides for a robust snapshot that can feature photos, videos, testimonials and more.
The site sees more than 50 million monthly unique users. (Glassdoor)
With a vast monthly user base, Glassdoor draws in an engaged group interested specifically in finding job opportunities and next steps within their careers. Companies benefit by sharing content on a monthly basis to remain top of mind with this engaged group.
89% of users are actively looking for jobs or would consider better opportunities. (Glassdoor U.S. Site Survey)
Glassdoor users are intentional in their purpose for logging into the site. With this ready-to-decide mindset, companies benefit by showcasing authentic reviews, company culture and thought leadership content that candidates are seeking as they reach their decision around pursuing an employer.
Average CEO approval rating is 68% and average company rating is 3.4. (Glassdoor)
These metrics are important in gauging how your own approval and company ratings compare to all companies on Glassdoor. It also helps to benchmark against competitors and historic information in order to put your best foot forward.
INDEED
Indeed is a place where candidates not only can quickly find job opportunities, but also can read employee reviews and get specific questions answered. Employers can influence active job seekers by ensuring that reviews and answers are representative of the company culture.
Indeed is the No. 1 job site with 200+ million unique visitors every month from more than 60 countries. (Indeed)
Users on Indeed frequently visit the site monthly and represent the active job seeking community globally. Tapping into this audience, who are ready to decide, is critical for any recruitment strategy.
There are more than 18 million employer reviews. (Indeed)
Although Glassdoor features more total employer reviews, Indeed’s reviews garner more visibility due to its larger audience size. With that, it’s important to be aware of, and participate in, the review conversation happening on this channel.
Job seekers are influenced to apply by employer reviews by more than 80%. (Indeed)
Ensuring that employer reviews represent the company culture is key, knowing that most candidates are influenced by what they seek. Although Indeed does not remove reviews, companies can encourage employees to leave reviews. Additionally, the Q&A section allows for companies to participate in supplying those answers as well.
16% of searches include keywords such as “admin assistant,” “retail,” “sales,” “customer service,” “receptionist” and “warehouse.” (Jumpshot)
The top keyword searches say a lot about the types of jobs people are seeking on Indeed. That said, no matter your industry or open role, Indeed aggregates opportunities into one platform, making it a one-stop shop for job seekers.
YOUTUBE
As the second largest search engine, right behind Google, the power of this video platform should not be ignored. YouTube serves as an agile video repository companies can use to house employee testimonials, company overviews and history, day-in-the-life guides and more. For organizations with the budget, YouTube also can be a platform to build an audience and engage with them routinely if you have ample content.
There are more than 1 billion users—almost one third of all people on the internet. (YouTube)
That’s a lot of people with diverse interests and backgrounds logging into a platform to consume content. No matter who you’re trying to reach, they’ve likely navigated YouTube at some point. And if you have video content, YouTube is the place not only to store it, but to optimize it to reach users as they conduct their searches.
More than 5 billion videos are watched every single day. (MerchDope)
En masse, those users are watching a ton of content daily. This video-consumption-centric audience is eager to digest information visually. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Think of the content that can be consumed by investing in a few minutes of video showcasing your brand.
8 out of 10 18- to 49-year-olds watch content every month. (HubSpot)
The majority of Millennials and a portion of Gen Xers gravitate to the video platform, choosing to watch content monthly. Because of this interest, it’s key to add content regularly, as you have budget and resources to do so.
More than half of views come from mobile, and the average sessions last more than 40 minutes. (YouTube)
This audience also prefers mobile, often consuming content on the go. They’re also willing to invest in watching a lot of content in an average session, likely influenced by YouTube’s video suggestions and advertising spots. Brands can capitalize on this by optimizing video content for search and promoting key content to targeted audiences.
SNAPCHAT
This mobile-messaging application provides the opportunity for users to share photos, video, text and more. Advertising and geolocation opportunities allow companies to reach specific audiences to engage with tailored content. In recruitment, filters are fun ways candidates, employees and fans can engage with a company’s brand in a natural way.
The platform sees 301 million monthly active users (The Motley Fool) and 187 million daily active users. (VentureBeat)
Snapchat fans actively engage with the app monthly, if not daily, often returning to send snaps to friends and capture micro moments in their day.
Snapchat reaches 41% of 18- to 34-year-olds in the U.S. each day. (Omnicore)
Of its user base, almost half are U.S. Millennials. Similar to other channels that capture this generation’s attention, the content strategy should consider the engagement opportunities the platform provides.
There are more than 10 billion daily video views. (Omnicore)
Speaking of engagement, video views are one way to reach a target audience. If you have video content, sharing relevant content with your Snapchat audience is one way to test engagement.
Consumers engage with brand-related filters for about 20 seconds. (Wallaroo Media)
Many Snapchat users love playing with the various add-ons, from lenses to effects, that the platform provides. Filters are a way brands can get in on the action to spread brand awareness and engagement. Events are one way to do this effectively and reach an engaged audience in the moment.
The bulletin board platform showcases information, how-tos, articles and quotes that provide inspiration to its user base. Although Pinterest doesn’t work for every brand, those brands with ample content that fits the thought leadership criteria can capture the attention of interested audiences. Think about pinning visually appealing photography, interesting testimonial quotes from company leaders or articles that talk about where your industry is going, then drive audiences back to your career site.
Pinterest is the fifth in used social media channels. (Pew Research)
Although not the top social channel, Pinterest is the fifth most used platform across the social giants in play today. Brands that have interesting thought leadership content may be able to tap into this audience simply by sharing the content they’re already creating on the platform. Organizations with well known consumer brands also may be able to tap into the company’s overall influence and prestige to further distribute more job-focused content.
More than 200 million users have pinned more than 100 billion ideas. (Pinterest)
Its scrapbook-like pinning platform remains popular in curating inspirational ideas categorized into collections. Popular Pinterest categories include food and drink, DIY crafting, home decor, health and beauty, and clothing. That said, how-tos, tips and advice also abound on the channel.
21 million users are between the ages of 25 and 35. (Statista)
This older Millennial generation tend to be female, make more than $50k a year and use Pinterest as much as Instagram. Similar to Instagram, visually appealing content does well on Pinterest, as it catches the eye of pinners as they scroll through content.
35% of users make $75,000 or more a year. (Pew Research)
And they use Pinterest to research and bookmark future purchases. The platform’s rich pins also offer additional information for buyers.
Seven times as many people check Facebook in a day than Pinterest in a month. (Boost Blog)
Although Pinterest users check less often, when they do, they spend 14.2 minutes per visit looking at content, pinning and clicking through to the original website.
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL
Each social channel has advantages and opportunities that can support any recruitment strategy. Knowing your audiences’ needs and identifying your goals is key to harnessing the power of these distribution tools. Coupled with overarching social media trends [link to published article], you can tailor your strategic approach to get the most out of social.
- Five Ways to Brand Yourself as a Candidate’s Employer of Choice - August 6, 2019
- Experts Weigh in on What’s to Come in 2019 - February 25, 2019
- The Importance of Employer Brand: AT&T’s Story - October 24, 2018
- Top Takeaways From #HRTechConf - September 21, 2018
- 4 Tips to Maximize Your Content Creation - July 10, 2018
- 5 Recruitment Marketing Trends You Should Know in 2018 and What to Do About Them - June 14, 2018
- 2018 Social Media Channel Statistics You Should Know - June 5, 2018
- 2018 Social Media Trends That Matter - May 14, 2018
- Pretty on Paper vs. Bottom-Line Profit: Vanity Metrics and Actionable Metrics Aren’t Equal, So What Numbers Go on the Report? - March 6, 2018
- All Aboard for Onboarding - February 21, 2018
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