Social media guide

Lithuania flagSocial Media Guide for Lithuania

Lithuania is among the leading countries of the European Union in information communications technologies and is ranked first in the World Competitiveness Rankings for communication technology. In the EU, it has a leading position in the number of people aged 16 to 24 who have gained ICT skills through formal education. Lithuanians are proud to have the fastest download and upload speeds in the EU. Lithuania takes first place on the continent for density of network of public internet access points. As a result, 92% of all financial operations are performed via e-banking. The most modern ICT technologies (EDGE technology, mobile WiMAX 4G Internet, 3G mobile communications infrastructure, etc.) are fully implemented and used throughout the whole country. More than 60% of Lithuanian households have access to a broadband connection.

In 2012, the country had the highest number of people having used the internet to read online news and newspapers (92% of internet users) and more than 70% having posted messages in the social media.

The major platforms being used in Lithuania are Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia. Facebook has 1,138,340 users in Lithuania and the country ranks 79th among all Facebook statistics by country. Facebook penetration in Lithuania is 31.93% of the country’s population and 55% of the number of Internet users. Lithuania has 0.94% higher Facebook penetration than Germany. At the moment, the largest age group of users is the 18 to 24 with total of 348,200 users, followed by the 25 to 34 age group. The gender division of users is currently 46% male to 54% female in Lithuania.

The main uses of social media are communicating with friends, sharing YouTube videos, photos and pictures. Women tend to search for clothing, holiday offers and restaurants. Lithuanian businesses are focusing on communication with customers, primarily on Facebook. Twitter is only used by several hundred or possibly thousand Lithuanians. Generally, Lithuanian companies have yet to discover the marketing and communications advantages of social media.

Google+ is used mainly by bloggers, students, politicians, journalists, entrepreneurs, PR people and IT enthusiasts. Although, Google+ is becoming more popular for business.

LinkedIn is mostly used by advertisers, designers, marketing agencies, and small information technology shops. Business people tend to register on LinkedIn to upload their résumé and showcase their connections, but they do not use it actively. Most users are based in the capital city and LinkedIn has become much more popular in the last 2 or 3 years.

Search and Social Media Marketing for International Business

Learn how to use social media for business from one of Salford Business School’s latest business management courses. The course was jointly researched by the Passport to Trade 2.0 project team and prepared in collaboration with some of the leading digital marketing agencies in the UK.

This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) can help businesses and individuals to make the best use of search and social media platforms. The course is called Search and Social Media Marketing for International Business and is applicable to students looking for placements abroad as well as businesses thinking about new trade links; it comprises the following twelve topics:

Before you start the course please complete this short MOOC entrance survey.

How to develop a personal brand online (1/12)

  • Whether you are a student beginning a job search or a business person planning a new business venture, personal branding can make a difference.
  • Learn about personal branding and why it is important for you.

How to use Twitter (2/12)

  • Learn the basics of using Twitter to develop an individual or business profile.
  • Remember to use hash tag #SSMMUoS to share your learning journey on this course so far!

How to use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (3/12)

  • Learn the principles of SEO to ensure that your website and any social media profiles are found by individuals searching for your name, products and services.
  • These basic principles of SEO include keyword research, on-page optimisation and off-page optimisation.

How to use social media for international business development (4/12)

  • Social media networks break down the traditional country barriers, but do you know which networks are relevant for the country you are interested in trading with?
  • Find out in this video how to identify the relevant networks and what social media strategies you might be able to use on these networks.

How to use Facebook (5/12)

  • Facebook is currently the largest social media network in the world and it can benefit you as a business as well as an individual.
  • Learn how to develop a Facebook business page and see how other businesses use it and what strategies work for them.

How to use YouTube (6/12)

  • YouTube was identified as the second largest social network amongst younger internet users as part of the Passport to Trade 2.0 project.
  • Learn how to optimise your video content in order to reach wider audiences for your profile.

How to use LinkedIn (7/12)

  • LinkedIn is one of the three main professional social networks – the others being Xing and Viadeo which are also popular in several European countries.
  • Learn how to make the most of LinkedIn for your profile.

How to use Google+ (8/12)

  • Google+ is the second largest social network as of January 2013.
  • It is one of the fastest growing social networks and one that has the biggest impact when it comes to search engine results integration for anyone who uses Google as their main search engine.
  • Learn how to make the most of Google+ for you and your digital profiles.

How to use copywriting online (9/12)

  • Copywriting is a process of translating technical specifications and product descriptions into engaging and understandable customer focused text.
  • Learn about the basic techniques in structuring your online content here.

How to stay legal on social media (10/12)

  • Everything and anything you do and say online can be potentially viewed by anyone who has internet access.
  • Always respect the law and familiarise yourself with new options offered to you through a creative commons licence which is popular online.

How to use monitoring and reporting (11/12)

  • Whether you are an individual or a business spending time on social media – there has to be a return on your engagement online.
  • How do you justify your engagement on social media to your boss? Listen to the industry experts in this area and see what you might be able to measure in respect of your on-line engagements.

How to blog (12/12)

  • Blogging is a process of writing text and sharing content with others. It can help your customers or friends to keep in-touch regardless of social media platforms.
  • Think about the voice you might want to adopt and who your audience might be. Share your thoughts with us by writing a blog post about this MOOC.
  • Tweet us the link to your post on the #SSMMUoS Twitter hash tag.

Please complete the MOOC exit survey.

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