Vermilion Public Library Holds Social Media Event

On March 4, Vermilion and area residents and business owners had the opportunity to gather at the Vermilion Public Library for a workshop focused on strengthening their social media skills. The event was hosted by the library in collaboration with Community Futures Lloydminster and Region.

Titled Using Social Media Effectively, the workshop was led by Corinne McGirr, general manager of Community Futures. McGirr quickly captured the audience’s attention with her extensive knowledge of the topic and her engaging, humorous approach, which helped attendees feel comfortable discussing their ideas and, in some cases, their limited experience with social media platforms.

Throughout the presentation, McGirr shared several statistics highlighting the widespread use of social media. She explained that 89 per cent of Canadian adults use at least one social media platform each week, while users typically spend between 1.8 and two hours per day browsing social media sites. She also noted that 54 per cent of users turn to social media to research brands, and that the average user actively engages with approximately 2.7 platforms on a regular basis.

McGirr also reviewed the demographics and key statistics associated with platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. She discussed how businesses and organizations can determine which platform is most effective for their brand, as well as strategies to attract followers, maintain engagement, and grow their audience.

“The key is to focus on finding the right people, not the most people,” said McGirr. “It’s about reaching the right audience, providing the content they want, defining your corporate brand, and fine-tuning your marketing strategy.”

During the final hour of the session, attendees were able to put their new knowledge into practice through two hands-on exercises. The first activity focused on improving caption writing, while the second challenged participants to create three social media posts designed to capture the attention of potential followers.

The workshop provided practical tools and insights for those looking to better understand social media and use it more effectively, whether for business promotion or community engagement.