An increasing number of people from varying age groups are becoming increasingly reliant on social media as a direct source for the latest news and information.
Roughly half of Facebook and Twitter users in the US use those sites to get news, and this number is growing each day.
According to recent research by Pew, about two-thirds of US adults use Facebook. So, with half of those users getting news on the site, a total of 30% of the US population rely on social networks for news.
Among the top ranking news consumption networks are social bookmarking sites like Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Tumblr. Youtube, LinkedIn and Instagram, however, attract less than 25% of news-seekers.
Surprisingly, 30-49s are (on average) the largest news consumers on social media, followed by the younger 18-29 demographic.
A report from Sensis found that 29% of Australians cited getting information on news and current events as one of their main reasons for using social media. 37% of those were in the 20-29 age bracket.
This shift towards social media has had a massive impact on traditional public and media relations. It is becoming increasingly essential to focus on social media in addition to traditional media vehicles.
“Social media releases” are becoming almost as important as traditional press releases. Noted social media analyst Brian Solis describes a social media release as containing “everything necessary to share and discover a story in a way that is complementary to your original intent.” But, he believes that the difference between social media and traditional press releases is how the audience finds the information and the tools they use to share and broadcast that information.
Infodec Communications can develop effective public relations and media campaigns across a number of platforms. Contact us today to find out how.