Emojis, smileys, hashtags: the language of a changing world?

Social media: are we hooked? 

Social media is an irreversible trend and a fundamental communication and information channel. Social media has even overtaken good old text messaging, whose use recently declined  for the first time in its history, decreasing by -4.7% in France between 2015 and late 2016. 

And it’s definitely not just teenagers on social media. Use of social media and messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, etc.) is gradually encompassing all age groups: over 80% of people under 40 and 40% of people between 40-59  have at least one social media account according to a study by ARCEP (French Regulatory Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications). 

And as shown by the latest Social Life barometer published annually by Harris Interactive, 76% of French web users visit a social media platform at least once a month, while 57% make it a daily habit.

Leading the pack, Facebook is used by 63% of web users (reaching two billion  users worldwide in June 2017!). Next on the list are YouTube (35%), Twitter (21%) then with under 20%, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Pinterest.

The way people use social media is changing, too. From their beginnings as basic meeting places for communities, social media have morphed into bustling hubs of information and activity. People log on to catch up with family and friends, interact with brands and consume media. For Generation Y, social media make up the third largest news source behind websites and TV.

What do banks talk about on social media?  

In light of these changes, brands have eagerly begun to connect with consumers on social media. 

Since 2015, BNP Paribas has been on social media via multiple Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and Instagram. 

These platforms enable the bank to talk about its topics of interest, such as International Women's Day, the Women’s Forum, social and environmental responsibility, entrepreneurship, financial innovation and the bank’s actions in favor of diversity. 

In terms of providing services, since 2013 BNP Paribas has offered sales support via Twitter, allowing the bank to address customer requests directly. 

This more natural and instantaneous form of communication favors simple and more frequent messaging for crisis situations, official declarations and events organized by the Group around the world. For example, during the Hello Tomorrow summit, social media permitted BNP Paribas to follow live updates on Twitter from the event, using the hashtag #HTSummit.