1. It Isn't A FadDo remember asking: "Do you have email?" versus asking "What's your email?" Small shift, but the assumption being not do you, but what is it. So goes with Social Media. We are still in the "What's your poison?" end of development, meaning most people if they are on social media have gotten on at least one platform and stayed there. But a time is coming where cross platform usage will be the norm. And as with any new technology there will be early adapters and then folks who come in later, but it wasn't so long ago that not everyone had a phone on their hip 24/7, or houses didn't have computers with internet. Now it is happening with social media everyday. People are finding the platform that suits them and making a home and connecting with those they find there.
2. It Is Ever Evolving,
But Major Players Stick Around and Grow. Think about how this whole thing started: AOL IM, Chat Rooms, Forum Boards, MySpace, Blogs, YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Digg, Del.i.cious, Friend Feed, FourSquare and so on and so on. One platform usually feeds off another, but the major players, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia are constantly growing and gaining new ground. They evolve sometimes at the frustration of their users, but mainly because of them. In our area alone the estimated daily reach is over 189,000 people within a 50 mile radius. Last year it was a little over 50,000.
3. Your Customers Are Probably Already Here
Something I usually talk about with business owners or managers is the fact that people they may not even suspect use social media every week or even every day. Just because you don't have the time to invest doesn't mean your average consumer doesn't. And yes, people are devoting more time to social media than most other activities on the web. One factoid from Facebook that always fascinates me is the 55-65 Female Growth. Grandma's sharing pictures of their Grandkids, getting involved all of a sudden with Farmville, checking on their grown children, and posting vacation pictures. Heck, it's changed how we watch T.V. or the news. Trending topics for major television events are always created on Twitter, and Fan Pages pop up it seems over night on Facebook. Which brings me to No. 4.
4. Social Media Has Changed How People and Businesses Communicate
Think about the last time you had a bad experience with a company... did you call customer service? Fill out a survey? Then what happened? Did you receive a response, maybe a letter if you were lucky and the event was truly bad enough to warrant it. Social Media has changed this, everyone has a voice. They did before but it didn't reach as many people quite as fast. But, this thought shouldn't scare the average business owner. When I get this question from prospective clients I usually tell them that most people know you are human, and people will comment about how you fixed the problem not created it.
It can also be used to shift corporate policy and ideas. Think about what it took to get Betty White on SNL, but that all started because one person thought it was a good idea and made a Facebook page.
5. Businesses Can Experience Real Growth Using Social Media
Now that sounds tricky and almost too good to be true doesn't it? One of the many features and benefits social media provides is the ability to track and look at the impact your involvement is making. You can see in the Insights page what demographics are commenting most on your page, what your media consumption is like, and if you run promotions via applications in Facebook and Twitter you can track those as well through register sales and offer code redemption. There is that possibility for growth there, and most Facebook and Twitter users liked to be appreciated for supporting you in social media. But, if you use social media wisely you will see impact.
So what do you think about social media? Do you see it as a fad or as the new horizon?
2. It Is Ever Evolving,
But Major Players Stick Around and Grow. Think about how this whole thing started: AOL IM, Chat Rooms, Forum Boards, MySpace, Blogs, YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Digg, Del.i.cious, Friend Feed, FourSquare and so on and so on. One platform usually feeds off another, but the major players, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia are constantly growing and gaining new ground. They evolve sometimes at the frustration of their users, but mainly because of them. In our area alone the estimated daily reach is over 189,000 people within a 50 mile radius. Last year it was a little over 50,000.
3. Your Customers Are Probably Already Here
Something I usually talk about with business owners or managers is the fact that people they may not even suspect use social media every week or even every day. Just because you don't have the time to invest doesn't mean your average consumer doesn't. And yes, people are devoting more time to social media than most other activities on the web. One factoid from Facebook that always fascinates me is the 55-65 Female Growth. Grandma's sharing pictures of their Grandkids, getting involved all of a sudden with Farmville, checking on their grown children, and posting vacation pictures. Heck, it's changed how we watch T.V. or the news. Trending topics for major television events are always created on Twitter, and Fan Pages pop up it seems over night on Facebook. Which brings me to No. 4.
4. Social Media Has Changed How People and Businesses Communicate
Think about the last time you had a bad experience with a company... did you call customer service? Fill out a survey? Then what happened? Did you receive a response, maybe a letter if you were lucky and the event was truly bad enough to warrant it. Social Media has changed this, everyone has a voice. They did before but it didn't reach as many people quite as fast. But, this thought shouldn't scare the average business owner. When I get this question from prospective clients I usually tell them that most people know you are human, and people will comment about how you fixed the problem not created it.
It can also be used to shift corporate policy and ideas. Think about what it took to get Betty White on SNL, but that all started because one person thought it was a good idea and made a Facebook page.
5. Businesses Can Experience Real Growth Using Social Media
Now that sounds tricky and almost too good to be true doesn't it? One of the many features and benefits social media provides is the ability to track and look at the impact your involvement is making. You can see in the Insights page what demographics are commenting most on your page, what your media consumption is like, and if you run promotions via applications in Facebook and Twitter you can track those as well through register sales and offer code redemption. There is that possibility for growth there, and most Facebook and Twitter users liked to be appreciated for supporting you in social media. But, if you use social media wisely you will see impact.
So what do you think about social media? Do you see it as a fad or as the new horizon?
