SOCIAL NETWORKS EXPLAINED

                                                               -Social Networking-

By Del Albright

 

In today's world, communication skills mean you also have some social networking skills – the Internet – like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram,  Pinterest, YouTube, etc. The world is on the "socials." So, learn to tweet, post, share a pic, tag, hashtag, and comment! At least learn to understand these tools and be able to talk about them. And if you want to support and thank your partners/sponsors, social networks are crucial. Social media is essential if you want to expand your reach or grow your cause.  It is never too late to jump in.

Let's go over some basics.

First of all, I used AI (ChatGPT) to create this short report of internet statistics/info:

The highest-ranking and most-used social networks as of 2025 are:

1. Facebook (Meta)

• Users: ~3 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Massive global reach
  • Versatile (groups, marketplace, events, live streaming)
  • Strong advertising and business tools
• Drawbacks:
  • Privacy concerns
  • Declining engagement among younger audiences
  • Algorithm favors paid content over organic reach

2. YouTube (Google)

• Users: ~2.7 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Best platform for long-form video content
  • Monetization options for creators
  • Strong search and recommendation algorithm
• Drawbacks:
  • High competition for content creators
  • Strict content moderation policies
  • Ad revenue can be inconsistent

3. WhatsApp (Meta)

• Users: ~2.5 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Encrypted messaging for privacy
  • Free international communication
  • Business tools for customer service
• Drawbacks:
  • Limited public social features (mostly private messaging)
  • Misinformation can spread easily

4. Instagram (Meta)

• Users: ~2.4 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Strong for visual content (photos, Reels, Stories)
  • High engagement for influencers and brands
  • E-commerce integration (Instagram Shopping)
• Drawbacks:
  • Algorithm can make organic growth difficult
  • Heavy focus on aesthetics and influencer culture can lead to unrealistic standards

5. TikTok (Bytedance)

• Users: ~1.7 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Highly engaging short-form video content
  • Algorithm-driven virality makes it easier for new users to gain traction
  • Strong music and trend-driven culture
• Drawbacks:
  • Privacy and data security concerns
  • Banned or restricted in some countries
  • Monetization is less stable than YouTube

6. WeChat (Tencent)

• Users: ~1.3 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • All-in-one platform (messaging, payments, social media, shopping)
  • Essential for business in China
• Drawbacks:
  • Mostly limited to China
  • Heavy government censorship

7. LinkedIn (Microsoft)

• Users: ~1 billion monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Best for professional networking
  • Strong B2B marketing and recruiting tools
  • High organic reach for informative content
• Drawbacks:
  • Less casual engagement
  • Can feel overly self-promotional

8. X (formerly Twitter)

• Users: ~600 million monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Best for real-time news and conversations
  • Strong niche communities
  • Good for personal branding and networking
• Drawbacks:
  • Increased issues with misinformation
  • Algorithm and policy changes have alienated some users
  • Less ad revenue for creators compared to competitors

9. Snapchat

• Users: ~400 million monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Ephemeral content keeps engagement high
  • Strong among younger audiences
  • Augmented reality (AR) filters and lenses are popular
• Drawbacks:
  • Less effective for long-term content discovery
  • Business and ad tools are not as strong as competitors

10. Reddit

• Users: ~500 million monthly active users
• Advantages:
  • Deep, topic-specific communities
  • Strong organic engagement in niche discussions
  • Less algorithm manipulation than mainstream social media
• Drawbacks:
  • Harder to grow a personal brand
  • Moderation can be inconsistent
  • Advertisers may find it difficult to target audiences effectively

 

 

 

 

 TWITTER (now called X)

Twitter has its place, but it seems to be dying off. If you are in a critical position (organizational or club leader), learning to tweet on Twitter can help your cause and build your club or event. For example, Tweet up a storm if you are an event chair or director. You will build a following to help develop your event (and profit margin).

 

Events can benefit from setting up a Twitter feed advertised in event literature or entrance gates. Participants sign up to receive tweets and updates on their phones as they enjoy the event. In addition, you can keep folks posted on changes in the schedule of new times for special activities and hold fun contests with tweets (for example, "Find Del before 3 p.m. and win a free t-shirt"). 

 

You can tweet parking and camping information. You can tweet announcements affecting the participants. And most importantly, before the event, you can tweet all your sponsors and raffle donors to give them lots of "love" in return. Make sure you have "followed" and liked all your sponsors first. Then, you can "mention" them with the "@" symbol (see below).

 

                           

 

 

     (from Backlinko.com, October 2023)

 FACEBOOK: You do not want to read about someone washing their poodle on Facebook. So, OK, don't follow them, but learning to use Facebook is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your cause, club, and event. For example, one of my landuse articles (2014) received well over 10,000 views (reads) overnight. In 2020, I wrote an article on FB about Mega-Wildfires with over 64,000 shares (which means 30 – 50 million people read it, most likely). However, even if you paid for it elsewhere, that number is hard to achieve. And Facebook is free (as of this writing).

You can buy Facebook (and Twitter) books (like the ones "for Dummies") and get a crash course in how to make these socials work for you, spread your cause, and help keep outdoor activities alive and well.

 

You can set up a specific event or club's Facebook pages, manage the message, and grow the number of interested parties who share it in their networks. The cumulative impact is far-reaching and thrives on its own, creating what is called a "social network."

 

I highly recommend using Facebook "Events" to promote your club, raffle, event, or whatever. From your page, set up a sub-page under the Events tag. First, invite people to join your event. Once they do, they automatically get your updates and posts to the event page. This saves you a lot of work in promoting and building your event.

 

FB Groups are one of the most powerful tools FB offers. Private or public, you can have a group dedicated to your cause, event, family, or whatever. In addition, you can search a group for specific subjects or posts. It is a great way to coordinate and share on specific topics.

 

 

 

 HASHTAGS:  The # (pound) symbol is a hashtag. Hashtags put the mention (post, tweet) on the entire Internet. So, if a business or group watches a hashtag, they will see it immediately.  Technically, a hashtag is a word or un-spaced phrase prefixed with the number (pound) sign.

Hashtags are great for anyone wishing to know how much exposure you are getting. Hashtags are powerful search tools on social networks. Anyone can follow anything with a hashtag and sort out other superfluous data.

 

Sponsors, partners, supporters, and vendors all love hashtags and follow many. Take a business, let's say JeepBusiness.com. Usually, they follow their hashtag, especially on Instagram (see below). #jeepbusiness will bring up all posts about them. So, if you hashtag an entity you want to promote, they will see it every time you mention it (as promised).

 

 

TAGS: Using the "at symbol" @ means tagging someone – different than a hashtag. Tagging them means your post will appear on their social network feed on Facebook (and Instagram). When someone "tags" you in a photo, a copy of the photo is transferred to your profile.

 When a friend tags you in a post, your name appears as a link in their profile. A tag is a link you can see and click on (follow).

 

Tags are a great way to show sponsors that you are promoting them. Your tag/post goes to their page/profile immediately.

 

A tag looks like this @DelAlbright and ensures Del Albright will see what you posted on his feed.   Tags are vital in promoting businesses that help you promote and grow your cause or market your product.  Tag your partners every chance you get.

 

Remember, a hashtag is a searchable phrase or word someone can follow.  A "tag" actually puts your post on their feed/page without them having to follow anything.

 

  

 

INSTAGRAM:  Businesses, opinion leaders, influencers, and media stars often use Instagram to build a tribe of followers. It is quick, easy, short, and sweet, like a tweet, but designed to emphasize the picture and not so much the words.

 

For example, at an event, with Instagram, you use your phone to take an event picture of your vendor show line-up. Then, you post the pic and promote your sponsors by showing their flags, banners, booths, etc., in your Instagram app to your feed.  People "like" or "heart" the pic and share it with others. Immediately, you have happy sponsors who know you are promoting them.

 

And let's talk about "stories" and "reels." TikTok's copycat, as some call it, is a powerful way to engage followers and promote the reach of your posts. Reels allow users to create and watch engaging short videos on the platform.

 

Instagram Reel is a feature that allows users to create short videos between 15 and 30 seconds in length. In addition to recording short clips, Instagram Reels also lets users edit, remix, and add effects and audio to their Reels.

 

With Instagram Reels, you can create and watch short, entertaining videos anytime. In addition to these features, Instagram also provides several options for making reels more exciting and engaging. Add an extra dash to your reels through options such as multi-clip videos, easy-to-use text, AI filters, and audio.

 

Use hashtags (#) to showcase other causes, vendors, and sponsors. They will see you promoting their support and help you even more next time! We all benefit from the never-ending circle of networking that comes from social networks.

Pinterest:

• Advantages: Excellent for visual discovery, long content lifespan, and strong for niche markets like DIY, fashion, and home decor.
• Drawbacks: Less emphasis on social interaction, limited engagement beyond inspiration and shopping.

Pinterest is mostly about selling something and getting expanded exposure for your product, cause, merchandise, or message.

Tying It All Together

The trick is to find the platforms that your customers/clients visit and use them to your advantage while consuming the least amount of your time. I use my Google Blog as the basis for my marketing. then I tie the blog to Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  I also back up that with Mailchimp emailing for certain messages. When you tie it all together, your message rockets to the top of the charts (hopefully). 

Social networks are a substantial part of our world today, and to be an effective leader in your field, you should find a way to be in the "social" game.

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    Del

  MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

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