The 2022 Social Media Awards (original) (raw)

CStore Decisions, for the 10th consecutive year, is recognizing convenience store chains standing out on social media.

For the second year running, CStore Decisions partnered with Rival IQ to determine the c-store chains going above and beyond on social media. Rival IQ, which was recently acquired by global consumer and market intelligence company NetBase Quid, is a social media analytics software company based in Seattle that helps brands measure their social media engagement and benchmark that performance against their competition and their broader industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted customers’ relationship with social media. As lockdowns began in spring of 2020, social media usage skyrocketed by 61% during the first wave of the pandemic, according to data, insights and consulting company Kantar. Misinformation has also increased on social platforms throughout the pandemic. A World Health Organization (WHO) study from late October 2020 to early January 2021, found 59.1% of global Gen Z and millennials surveyed are “very aware” of “fake news” surrounding COVID-19 on social media and can often identify it, but 35.1% chose to ignore it.

But misinformation hasn’t slowed customers’ social media engagement. Pew Research Center’s report, “Social Media Use in 2021,” found seven in 10 U.S. adults use social media, with YouTube (81%) and Facebook (69%) as the most popular overall, followed by Instagram (40%). Some 23% reported using Twitter, and 21% listed TikTok. When looking at 18- to 24-year-olds specifically, they reported using Instagram (76%), Snapchat (75%) or TikTok (55%) at much higher rates than the general population.

While Facebook’s demographic is skewing older today, its users are active, with 49% using the platform several times a day and 22% using it once a day, Pew Research Center reported. Comparatively, some 38% of overall Instagram users use the platform several times a day, and 21% use it once a day. But brands need to do more than post to reach customers on these platforms today.

Click here to download your copy of the Social Media Awards and trend report.