Social Climbing: Executives Rank Facebook First

Survey Reveals Preferred Social Media Platforms Among Creative Managers and Workers

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Sep 05, 2017, 08:07 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether for business or pleasure, Facebook reigns supreme among managers and employees, according to new research from staffing firm The Creative Group. When asked which social media platform they would choose if limited to one for both professional and personal use, the top response among advertising and marketing executives (44 percent) and workers (58 percent) was Facebook. LinkedIn came in second, cited by 17 percent of creative managers and 13 percent of professionals.

Research from The Creative Group reveals preferred social media platforms among creative managers and workers.

As for business opportunities, advertising and marketing executives said Facebook will be the most important social media site for advertising and marketing in the coming year. They predict social messaging (33 percent) and video (28 percent) trends will have the biggest impact on their advertising and marketing strategy.

Advertising and marketing executives and workers were asked, "If you had to limit yourself to only one social media platform for your professional and personal use, which of the following would it be?" Their responses:

	Executives	Workers
Facebook	44%	58%
LinkedIn	17%	13%
Twitter	11%	6%
Instagram	9%	7%
Pinterest	7%	4%
YouTube	5%	8%
Snapchat	1%	1%
Other/don't know	5%	3%
	99%*	100%

*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic of the full survey findings.

"Social media trends are constantly changing, and companies need to continually evaluate the habits and needs of their target audience and determine how they can best reach and engage with them," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. "As a result, professionals with experience and expertise using social tools to improve the customer experience, drive sales and build brand awareness are in strong demand."

Domeyer added, "Bringing in freelancers or consultants with social media skills can be an effective way for companies to support advertising and marketing initiatives and fill knowledge gaps on their teams."

Additional findings:

If limited to one social media site, Instagram was the second-most popular response among workers ages 18 to 34 (13 percent), while it was LinkedIn for those ages 35 to 54 (16 percent) and 55 or older (15 percent).
Instagram and LinkedIn tied for second as the preferred social media site among female workers (10 percent each), while LinkedIn (15 percent) and YouTube (11 percent) ranked second and third among males.
Advertising executives ranked Instagram as the second-most important social media site for businesses in the coming year, while marketing executives listed Twitter.

About the Research
The surveys were developed by The Creative Group and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 400 U.S. advertising and marketing executives, and more than 1,000 U.S. workers 18 years or older and employed in office environments.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in connecting interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations talent with the best companies on a project, contract-to-hire and full-time basis. For more information, including job-hunting services and candidate portfolios, visit roberthalf.com/creativegroup.

SOURCE The Creative Group