Facebook security

Is it time to quit Facebook? Both users and brands are wondering.

Facebook security

Privacy has always been a concern for users on social media and across the internet, but these issues have come into the spotlight amidst recent reports of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. And both users and brands are wondering is it finally time to dump Facebook. Across Twitter, #DeleteFacebook began trending. Celebrities made announcements that they were leaving Facebook. Several big name brands including Mozilla and Sonos temporarily suspended their Facebook advertising.

 

But what does this really mean for marketers? Should you pull back on your Facebook ad spending right now? Here are four reasons why companies should not be afraid to continue business as usual on Facebook.

 

1. Only a small number of people are leaving Facebook.

There are still over two billion users on the world’s largest social media platform, whose daily lives are entwined with Facebook. Although people are concerned, most are taking steps to be more cautious about data being shared rather than outright deleting their accounts.

 

Few companies are making changes to their ad spending as a result of the news, at least for now. According to Pathmatics, digital intelligence platform, of the top 1,000 ad spends on Facebook, only seven pulled ad spending following the Cambridge Analytica reports.

 

2. Facebook has been through issues before – and survived.

Facebook has already begun to make changes, including removing 3rd party data providers from its ad targeting, pausing all messenger bots and developing a new certification tool for marketers to guarantee email addresses used for ad targeting. Right now, Facebook’s priority will be to actively pursue solutions to earn back the trust of consumers.

 

Last year when Google-owned YouTube came under fire for showing brand ads next to hate speech and offensive content, brands boycotted YouTube but returned after a few months because of their quick response to remedy the situation. YouTube did not suffer any losses in earnings or growth.

 

3. Facebook advertising works.

The effectiveness of Facebook advertising has always been due to its hyper-targeting abilities. As the demand for transparency increases and access to data is limited, marketers may have to get more creative with targeting and begin to rethink their digital strategies, but as long as Facebook ads continue to deliver results, brands will continue to use it.

 

4. It could have happened to anyone.

This is the time we live in and privacy has been the tradeoff for the benefits of technology. And while the target is on Facebook right now, this is an overall consumer privacy issue across all digital media that needs to be addressed.

 

At the end of the day, leaving Facebook is a personal decision. As an ad agency, our job is to stay educated on the matter, monitor the situation closely for further fallout and help our clients determine the best strategy moving forward. And for brands, unless enough users leave or if the targeting regulations hurt performance, there is no reason to panic.

 

Regarding your personal account, learn ways to protect your data here.

 

Read more here:

http://adage.com/article/digital/marketers-wrangle-cambridge-analytica-fallout/312932/

https://marketingland.com/advertisers-didnt-leave-youtube-and-they-wont-leave-facebook-237063

https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/should-you-delete-your-facebook-account

social media afterlife

3 Ways PR Job Seekers Can Enhance Their Digital Footprint

digital footprint

 

You’ve heard it again and again — when applying for jobs and internships, make sure your social media and is pristine and appropriate. (You don’t want your Instagram or your digital footprint to speak louder than your resume.) This is especially true for aspiring public relations professionals: if you can’t manage your own social media properly, how can an agency expect you to manage a client’s?

This is why so many internship and job seekers are told to go through and delete any unsavory content, ensure their profile pictures put their best self forward, and make their social profiles private if necessary. Cleaning up your social media is a must, but with public relations positions as competitive as they are, there may be another step needed.

Take charge and create your own digital footprint:  an entirely new online identity that focuses not on your crazy nights out, but who you are and what you bring to the table as a professional.  You may not want potential employers to find your personal content, so provide an opportunity for employers to get a sense of who you are professionally.

Create a job seeking / professional social media account

Creating a professional Twitter or Instagram to demonstrate your social abilities can set you above the competition. You may be protecting yourself by making all your accounts private, but you’re also missing an opportunity to show how you’re able to manage social media profiles, stay in the loop about industry trends, and engage with brands. If that’s something you want to highlight, consider creating an Instagram or Twitter account specifically for that purpose. Retweet articles about industry trends, show off your amazing graphic design/photography skills, and show that PR is more than just a career for you – it’s a passion.

Online Portfolio or Blog

The reason many hiring managers research candidates is because they want to get a sense of the person behind the resume. What’s their personality? What kind of energy would they bring to the role? If you provide everything a manager could possibly need to know upfront and demonstrate all the creative ways you could contribute, they won’t have to look you up. So create an online portfolio or blog to show off your writing skills, share information about yourself, articulate your ideas and perspectives, and outline all the great experience you’d bring to an employer.

Leveraging LinkedIn

Every young professional should have a LinkedIn account. This platform has so many opportunities for those who invest time in using it. You can connect with those in your dream role, post relevant articles, comment on industry leader’s posts, and write/publish your own content. Being able to share an impressive and engaging LinkedIn profile with a potential employer is a plus.

So, once you’ve made sure your social media content is appropriate, consider creating an entirely new digital footprint. How are you making yourself stand out?

Businesswoman Searching Online Job In Office

It’s Time to Stop Calling Them Passive Job Seekers

passive job seekersIn the world of recruitment, we use the terms “Active and Passive Job Seeker,” to differentiate between people who are actively searching for jobs, whether out of work or ready for a change, and those who are currently employed, but may be convinced to consider another opportunity.

Before the Internet and social media, candidates had to work hard to find and apply to jobs. But with technology leading to greater access coupled with people changing jobs more frequently, I propose that a new term needs to be implemented. Call it the “Always Looking” Job Seeker, the “Semi-Active” Job Seeker, the “Opportunistic” Job Seeker.

The word passive is outdated. As long as you have a smartphone, you always have the ability to look for job opportunities. A recent Indeed study (Talent Attraction Study: What Matters to the Modern Candidate) demonstrates how job seekers have changed:

  • 71% of workers admit to active job searching or at least openness to a new opportunity. This statistic shows that passive job seekers are no longer the majority.
  • 50% of adults who earn between $100,000 and $110,000 start reviewing new job opportunities within just 28 days of the start of their current role
  • Among all employed adults, 65% look at new opportunities within 3 months of starting their new job.
  • 58% of workers look at other jobs at least every month. 18% review job openings daily.
  • 44% of adults subscribe to job alerts, which deliver notifications right to your inbox

 

Switching jobs has become more common, especially among millennials and younger generations. Currently employed millennials typically plan to stay in their current role for only a year or two. They may not be actively job seeking, but would be willing to switch for a better opportunity, whether that means better perks, better advancement potential, a greater feeling of purpose or something else.

Targeted email job alerts with matching and learning technology, such as ZipRecruiter, allow individuals to keep an eye on possible job opportunities without lifting a finger. Social media sites and niche online communities like Stack Overflow for developers, allow potential job seekers to learn about company culture, values and opportunities, where they are already spending their time online.

As the passive and active job candidate line becomes more blurred, companies need to utilize a mix of tools including social media, job alerts, specialty niche communities and referrals to reach these “in-between” candidates.