If you are an avid Twitter user, you've probably noticed that the events calendar for November is full of links to social media news sites. This may be because it's easier to follow them than a news organization, but does it really affect your political engagement and knowledge? Is it more reliable than traditional news? Are people feeling disillusioned with the information that is being spread through social media? Regardless, you've likely noticed a trend: people who are politically engaged tend to read these articles. But is this a good thing or not?
It is more trustworthy than news from a news agency
People get news more often from social media than traditional news organizations. A 2016 study done by Media Insight Project revealed that the perception of news content is influenced by the brand of a news organisation. People who trust a news source's credibility will be more inclined to believe the content it shares. Moreover, social media content reaches many people outside the news organization's walls.
It is not true that social media has a lower reliability than traditional news. Most mainstream news outlets contribute to social media via short announcements that link to their websites. Recent scandals have cast doubt on the credibility these news companies as news organizations. Through research, Twitter users' political views have been identified.
It can affect political engagement
It's a good way to increase political involvement by keeping up with the latest news through social media. Recent studies have shown that one out of every eight adults uses social media for civic purposes. It is possible to increase civic engagement and civic knowledge, which can help citizens build their political capacity. It is clear that the more people spend time on social media, they will be more engaged in politics. But are people really using it to their advantage?
One study found that social media usage during elections was higher during President Trump's campaign. Populist nationalism is another example that shows how social media can increase political engagement. Social media allows political parties such as the Five Star Movement (Italy), the Pirate Party (Iceland) and the keyboard army headed by President Duterte (Philippines) to spread their message. Similarly, social media was used during the Brexit referendum. Supporters of the Leave campaign were five times more active on Twitter than their opponents, and their content was more positive than their opponents.
It can have a negative impact on political knowledge
One study shows that how much Americans rely on social networking sites can affect their political knowledge. Similar proportions of people who rely on local TV answered the question correctly, but only half of those who follow social media news knew that any Republican voted for Donald Trump. But that is only half of the story. There are many factors which affect civic knowledge. People aren't always interested in all the information available on the internet.
Reading the news is the best way to determine whether you are politically educated. In a recent study, the American News Pathways project studied 29 different types of news and asked U.S. adults 29 questions about their political knowledge. Social media users were significantly less likely than those who read local newspapers or watched local TV to be aware that the Republican Party holds a majority in Congress.
It causes political disaffection
Late 2019, almost half of U.S. adults reported that they used social media to obtain political news. Nearly half (50%) of those in this group are younger than thirty. 21% also use news apps or websites. Interestingly, fewer people from white and non-white backgrounds said they primarily rely on social media. And these same users are less likely to be aware of political news that is not factual.
We found that social media news use was positively associated with political expertise. This is consistent with the fact that social media news use is positively correlated with the "not seeking" dimension. Second-screening refers both to relying and relying heavily on peers. These results indicate that social media may alter perceptions of political competence. These results aren't conclusive, however.
FAQ
How much does content marketing cost?
Prices for content marketing vary depending on whether the solution is outsourced or managed by you. Outsourcing content marketing services is usually less expensive than hiring full-time staff, and allows you to scale up quickly when you require more coverage.
HubSpot research has shown that outsourcing content production costs $5 per lead for B2B companies, compared to $22 for consumer brands.
However, there are plenty of web resources that provide free content marketing tools that you can use to create engaging content that converts.
There are many methods to optimize content for search engines like Google or Bing. For example, you could write original articles and guest post on blogs. Or, you could curate content form other websites or reuse existing materials.
You'll need to learn the skills necessary to create great content for self-produced content. However, once you are proficient in this skill, it will be easy to produce content.
It is possible to start with simple landing pages created using WordPress, and then build your site. This will allow you to build a portfolio.
Is a Content Marketing Strategy right for me?
If you are clear on what you want, then a Content Marketing Strategy can work for you.
However, if you need some guidance before getting started, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Does my business need to communicate something specific? Or, do you want content that is universally appealing?
Do I want my efforts to convert visitors into buyers or generate leads?
Do I want to promote one or more products?
Do I want to reach people outside my industry?
A Content Marketing strategy will be the right choice if you answered yes to any of these questions.
What is the best Content Management platform?
There are many options available today. Each platform has its own pros and cons. These are some of the most popular choices:
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WordPress - It's easy to setup and maintain. A great community of users.
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Wix - Easier than WordPress to set up and maintain. It doesn't require any technical knowledge.
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Squarespace – The best option for those who already own a website.
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Blogger – Free blogging service
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Medium – A place for writers and artists to share their work.
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Instagram - An image-based platform.
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LinkedIn - A networking tool.
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Facebook - A social network.
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YouTube - Video sharing platform.
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Pinterest - Image-based platform.
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Google Analytics – Track visitor behavior.
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Hubspot - Email marketing software.
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MailChimp is an email marketing software.
Statistics
- To further show the importance of this, 89% of people have stopped doing business with a company because of a poor experience. (neilpatel.com)
- Seventy-two percent business to business (B2B) (mailchimp.com)
- Content marketing produces 3X more leads per dollar spent. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing. (criteo.com)
- An example of an overarching goal could be: "In 2022, we want to achieve a 20% increase in revenue created by organic content and generate 15,000 MQLs with a budget of $30,000." (semrush.com)
- We found that 40% of businesses don't have a documented strategy yet. (semrush.com)
- Out of the 1,500 marketers we surveyed for our State of Content Marketing report, 78% who felt their content marketing strategy was exceptionally effective in 2021 had documented their strategy. (semrush.com)
- According to research compiled by Coschedule: Companies that publish 16+ blog posts a month get as much as 3.5x as much traffic as those that publish 0-4 posts a month. (criteo.com)
- Companies that use content marketing see approximately 30% higher growth rates than businesses not using it. (mailchimp.com)
External Links
How To
What is a Content Marketing Plan?
A content marketing program (CMP), or content marketing plan, is a strategic document that helps to establish your goals, objectives, as well as strategies for developing and executing a website. It is a plan for how to reach those goals via content creation and distribution.
The CMP is usually broken down into three main areas:
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Your overall strategy - What are you looking to achieve?
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Your content strategy - Where will you find the right people to write, curate, and distribute your content?
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How you will execute your strategy. Which channels are you going to use to share your content. And what types of content will you produce?
These four components are essential for a CMP to be effective.
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Goal Setting – Define and measure your target audience.
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Audience Research – Understand your ideal customer so that you can find them exactly where they are.
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Strategy - Create a clear vision of your goals. Then break it down into smaller pieces.
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Execution is key - Have realistic expectations about the time you can expect to see tangible results.