Results from a recently conducted survey from Pew has shown the influence that people believe social media has on all walks of life, from getting politicians elected to helping raising money for a good cause and more.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed just over 2,300 people to ascertain what influence they felt the internet had over particular events. The social part of the internet survey makes for some interesting reading, with 53 per cent of those surveyed believing that social media had a major part in helping a political candidate get into power, while 31 per cent felt social media only had a minor hand. 16 per cent feel social media played no part at all.
However, that isn’t a bad thing. If a local politician is incorporating social media and regional SEO into their campaign, from our point of view, it shows that they’re keeping their ears to the ground and using key channels to convey their messages to a younger, in-tune audience in possession of a precious vote. It’s up to that audience to decide whether they should be elected or not, not the social media channels themselves.
The survey makes for interesting reading for all parts of social media though, with over half of people asked believing the medium had some kind of influence for all the questions asked. Over half thought that social media had some help in ‘solving or changing a local problem’, which to us is a fantastic representation of how social media helps connect people on a local level, and how much a local SEO campaign can help if you exploit the correct social media channels.
Pew have done a great job in gauging the mood of social habits in the real world, and have shown just how important and influential people think it is in their daily lives and routines. Harness it properly, and the benefits can be immense.
