Tag Archives: Facebook

“My demographics don’t use social media or mobile devices.” This statement could be one of the biggest problems to your marketing plan.

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Infographic from All Twitter

See the full size infographic

We can’t deny the fact that kids these days are getting mobile electronic devices at a younger age than ever before. As an example, my 4-year-old nephew had a Kindle Fire at the age of 3. In fact, all of my nieces and nephews, who range in age from 4 to 8, own some type of mobile device. Because this is a growing trend in the world today, marketers need to use social media and other digital marketing techniques to stay in front of their upcoming consumers.

Common Sense Media did a study on How Teens View Their Digital Lives that I found to be very interesting.

The survey polled 13-17 year-olds from around the U.S. to find out how social media plays a role in their lives. They discovered that 90 percent of them use some form of social media today, and the majority of teens use digital communications as a part of their daily lives. The results of this survey are not surprising, but I hear companies often say their target audience doesn’t use social media. That comment can’t be further from the truth.

There are many reports like the one from Common Sense Media showing social media and mobile device usage … and how they are being used. There are over 5.6 billion mobile phones being used in the world today. That is 79 percent of the world population! Approximately 55 percent of mobile owners access the web and predictions have been made that by 2014 using mobile to access the Internet will top desktop computer usage.

Mashable posted an infographic created by Online MBA which breaks down the demographics using the biggest social networks today. More than 66 percent of all adults are connected to one or more social media platforms. Interestingly, people 45 and older make up 46 percent of Facebook users.

Infographic from Mashable

See full size Infographic

You may need to evaluate your marketing plan if you think your demographics don’t use social media or mobile devices.

Other related Infographics

Surprising New Consumer Social Media Statistics

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Social Media Trends for 2012Photo by HonestReporting.com

Do you feel as if you aren’t up on the latest in social media? Do you feel out of the loop? Do you sometimes wonder if all the attention social media seems to get is just a bunch of hype?

Just in time to help you navigate the social media landscape, here are some useful bits of information from a new study by Edison Research and Arbitron. Now you can say you have your finger on the pulse of the most recent social media trends.

Social media statistic #1
Over half of Americans (56 percent) surveyed have a profile on a social networking site. This is up from 24 percent in 2008, 34 percent in 2009, 48 percent in 2010 and 52 percent in 2011.

Social media statistic #2
While 52 percent of social media users surveyed are under age 35, approximately 48 percent are over age 35. The majority of any age group is the 12-24 year olds – with 32 percent of those individuals using social networking.

Social media statistic #3
Of those surveyed, 93, 90 and 85 percent expressed knowledge of each of the following social media sites—Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, respectively. Google + was known by 45 percent and LinkedIn by 39 percent.

Social media statistic #4
Knowledge of social networking sites does not necessarily equal usage. Of those surveyed, 54 percent said they currently use Facebook, only 13 percent said they used LinkedIn, 10 percent used Twitter and just 8 percent used Google+.

Social media statistic #5
The largest year-over-year growth in social networking was observed in those over age 45, with engagement among 45 to 54 year-olds increasing from 45 percent to 55 percent from 2010 to 2011. Social usage among those aged 18-34 saw no growth and remained flat.

Social media statistic #6
Not surprisingly, of the total individuals surveyed, 73 percent access Facebook via a smart device like a smartphone or tablet. Interestingly, 37 percent of Facebook users say they access the site via a smart device most!

I don’t know about you, but I found there were more than a few surprises published in the report. You can download the full survey here. Let us know what statistics you think are the most interesting or revealing!

Social Media: If Not Now, When?

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Infographic of Nonprofit Usage of Social Media
Infographic from CraigConnects

I recently had the pleasure of presenting as part of a panel on social media at the Council on Foundations’ Family Foundation Conference in Miami. The session, “Tools of Engagement: Family Dynamics and Social Networking,” covered social networking as a critical piece of a foundation’s communications strategy.  

Joining me on the panel were speaker and consultant Rosetta Thurman and Mark Carpenter, public relations manager of COF. Of the various facts and figures that were presented during the session, what struck me most was this: Only 39 percent of foundations use Facebook and only 31 percent use Twitter. Conversely, 89 percent of nonprofits use Facebook and 57 percent use Twitter.

Put another way, very few grant makers are participating in the conversations their nonprofit counterparts are talking about. Worse yet, they’re not even listening.

The participation level of the session underscored the fact that this topic is on the minds of many. The atmosphere was palpable as the attending family foundations wrestled with the reality that they aren’t yet in the game. When asked about the barriers to their social media participation, those in attendance answered with concerns familiar to many of us:

There’s no time. 

What’s my ROI? 

How do we control the message?

As the strategic communications partner of The Patterson Foundation, I’ve dealt with these questions before. We’ve done our best to tackle and solve many of these issues.

The Patterson Foundation believes that foundations must invest resources beyond the check, including investing in communications. The Patterson Foundation backs this up with action. TPF’s investment in communications dramatically increases the capacity of many of its nonprofit partners.

We’re in an exciting yet disruptive time in the communications space. The emergence of technology has drastically altered the way people communicate. Social media allows us to listen and engage. Emerging philanthropic leaders understand what those who are fearful of the unknown have yet to discover: The power of communications has been transferred to the individual.

If we want to engage a younger generation of philanthropists, the question to embrace social media becomes when, not if. I believe the answer is NOW.

Has Your Company Adopted Social Media Yet?

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Small Business

Has your company embraced social media? If you haven’t, you’re in the minority. According to a recent infographic posted by Infographic Labs, 75 percent of small businesses had a company page on at least one social network from 2009 to 2010. In 2010, according to the infographic, 83 percent of Fortune 500 companies used at least one social media site.

But don’t think you have to engage every single platform that comes along. Not every social media outlet is right for you or your company. Maybe a company blog is the best way to engage potential clients and current clients, or maybe Facebook is where your customers “hang out.” Pick one and stick with it for a while … but remember, no matter which platform you choose, think about your strategy before you commit.

Here’s a list of  four social media basics for businesses that I’ve condensed from an article written by social media expert Brian Solis:

1. Showing up isn’t enough
Customers and prospects are busy, connected and interacting with everybody but you today. This requires an engagement program — that is, a plan for using social media to meet goals — that extends beyond the typical marketing of “follow us on Twitter” or “Like us on Facebook.”

2. You can’t be everywhere, nor should you
Many entrepreneurs are excited about technology and they overextend themselves because they want to be part of the latest trend. The key is to only be where your customers, prospects and those who influence them are.

3. Authenticity and transparency are nothing without a connection
The two magical ingredients to a successful social media effort are: authenticity and transparency. However, without delivering value, conveying a meaningful mission and vision, or establishing a connect-worthy presence, authenticity and transparency have nothing to reinforce.

4. Talking to people isn’t a business strategy
Some people run effective social media programs by listening instead of actually saying anything. But no matter if you converse with customers or not, you must have a purpose before you can engage. Don’t get caught up in only replying to brand mentions. Your real opportunity is to also engage and convert those people not already talking about you.

Don’t be part of the 25 percent of small businesses without a social media page. As Brian says above, you don’t need to adopt every social media platform to engage your customers or clients. Pick one or two and start slowly. You’ll probably be surprised you didn’t “jump in” sooner.

How “Social” is Social Media?

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Social media: Billions and billions served every day.

But what is social media? Sure, it’s a form of media; but is it social? And if so, how social is it and has the act of socializing changed as a direct result? Do social media users have more friends (real friends, not “friends” in Facebook lingo), and are those friendships strengthened through social media?

What we commonly refer to as social media has been around for a couple decades now. It didn’t start with Facebook and Twitter. And it didn’t start with MySpace, either. Back in the 90s before those things existed, there were AOL chat rooms and Instant Messaging. There was email, there were pagers and clunky cell phones. Before that there were other mediums to socialize on, and this is nothing new. The terminology behind it just is.

Those channels and others that have evolved from them are now referred to as social networks – from Pinterest and Twitter to YouTube and Google+. I personally have been on Facebook since October 2004, making me one of the site’s first million users. Thus, I’ve seen it evolve – for better or worse – over the years. And with it, I’ve seen my social life evolve too. It has helped me stay in touch with some whom I probably would not have otherwise. It has helped me meet people I probably wouldn’t have. On the flip side, it has hampered conversations – things I might normally ask when getting to know someone – What’s your favorite movie? Musical artist? TV show? Now, I can just look at their Facebook profile.

Be it making plans with a long-lost pal or conversing about similar interests while dressed in your PJ’s with some bloke from Down Under, social networking has expanded the idea of what being social exactly means. Looking at it from that perspective, what “social” constitutes is more subjective now than ever before. As a society, what was considered social a decade ago is not social today.  And, it won’t be “social” a decade from now. Plus, social media is still finding its footing in the social hierarchy of life. Perhaps one of my former college professors said it best when he said that tools like Facebook were “excellent for communicating with people whom you don’t want to talk on the phone with.” Isn’t that what texting is for?

Social media, in my humblest of opinions, is making us more social – just in different and new ways. It’s directly rebelling against the notion of what being social traditionally means.

The truth (or just common sense, if you prefer) is that people need people, and as people, we desire and seek out human interaction – such is natural; social media is just another tool to go about doing so. Social media is yet another distraction in a modern world chock full of ‘em. How social or not it makes a person really all depends on how they use it, and how social they are to begin with.

Omnipresent in our daily lives, social media is like gum on a sidewalk: It’s everywhere and it’s not disappearing anytime soon. Whatever role it currently plays in your life, accept the fact that it is here to stay and embrace it for the social possibilities contained therein – it can be a veritable hoot-and-a-half if you let it.

Plan Your Bathroom Breaks Accordingly

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The NFL Playoffs are about to begin, which means two things:

My beloved Green Bay Packers have a shot at another Super Bowl victory – a “G-peat” – and the Super Bowl ads are right around the corner.

This year’s air time sold out by Thanksgiving for a mere $3.5 million per spot. Pundits have long debated the value of dropping that type of media coin on one spot. I’m neither for nor against it, but as an agency creative, I do enjoy watching.

It’s fun checking USA Today and the trade pubs the next day to see what resonated with consumers.

It’s time to see if what I think is funny, is funny to millions of Americans.

Time to see if the same spots that make an emotional connection with me do the same for others.

Time to see if you and I agree on the spots are the best and the worst.

Time to wonder why I’ve ever done business with Go Daddy.

Well, this year we don’t have to wait until the day after the big game.

This year, USA Today and Facebook have teamed up to create the “USA Today-Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter.” It will allow you to view, rate and share Super Bowl ads. The best part about the new Ad Meter is that this will be the first time consumers – not just focus groups – will be able to determine who will be this year’s winner of the USA Today Ad Meter.

Who will unseat last years winners, Bud Light and Doritos? Plan your bathroom breaks accordingly and be sure to cast your vote.

And let me know which spot was your favorite. Game on!


Have You Created a Google+ Company Page Yet?

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Google Plus

So the big question is:
Why do I need a Fan Page on Facebook and a Google+ page for my company?

There are several reasons to jump on the Google+ bandwagon. Yes, this means one more social media channel to keep up with, but it will become a very important tool for your placement on the web in the near future. Google has become the largest and most successful search engine to date.

Most of us refer to Google as a verb, as we did for so many years with Xerox.

“Google It.”

While Google may not be thrilled about this, it has become a way of life for so may of us. So, what does this have to do with company pages on Google +? It has everything to do with it. In my opinion, Google+ pages will become the official pages on the web under the Google search engine. This means your profile pages and company brand pages will be among the first items to show up on Google when searched. That in itself should be reason enough, but if not, here are a few more:

  1. The +1 button is deemed by many as the fastest growing recommendation widget in history, with more than 1 million websites and receiving well over 5 billion impressions a day. More importantly, it’s how Google will use this data in the near future. This will be used to connect users and serve them relevant content they seek. This button will become an vital part of web development and search engine optimization. You will also be able to obtain analytics from the button, which is important for you as a brand to know what your audience likes. The +1 button will become another measurement tool for Google to rate rank and place your content.
  2. The Hangout feature can be used to host focus groups. This is just one of may ways you can use this feature. This will create activity and conversation for your page. The social media blog Mashable did this a few weeks ago and had great success. The topic was, “What do you want to see on the Mashable page?” I wasn’t able to participate in the Hangout, but I did monitor the participant feed on the topic, along with 50 others, and I have to say it was a great experience.
  3. Using Hashtags can be another great feature for your brand page. As of right now, Facebook has not jumped on this bandwagon, but I’m sure it wont be long. Hashtags are very important when it comes to social media. They allow a user to quickly filter information based on that hashtag. If you click on a hashtag in Google+ it’s as if you searched whatever term is attached to the tag. Twitter does this better than anyone right now.

While it’s still early and only time will tell how much impact Google+ will have, you can only assume it will be a big player in the social media arena. I have a feeling the next item Google will be integrating into Google+ will be the Place Pages. If you think about it, what could be better for your Place Page than adding a social component to it. It would definitely make your Google Place Page more relevant, with hashtag reviews, holding hangout sessions, and allowing people to +1 it and share it.

Yeah, that’s right, the new verb is going to be +1 (if not, something like it). I’m excited to see what Google does in the next few months.

As I was writing this post I came across HubSpot Blog post on Google+ Business Pages. They are offering up some good advise on tactics to Jumpstart your page. 

What are your thoughts on Google+ company pages?

Brand Building and Social Media: looking back to see the future

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This blog was written in 2009. As Facebook approaches a global audience of 800 million and Twitter usage approaches 250 million tweets per day, I thought it would be interesting to republish this to illustrate “no matter how things change, they remain the same.”  In the two years since this was written, things have changed for the GAP, but the message of the blog remains the same. 

For the past few months, I’ve been wondering and a little perplexed about how marketers view the social media phenomenon. Never before has a media segment grown so quickly. The statistics are staggering. Consider this: it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, TV 13 years, the Internet four years and iPod three years. Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months and iPhone applications hit an astounding 1 billion in nine months.

With this phenomenal growth comes the false sense that social media is the panacea for successful brand building. I agree social media is an important component of building your brand. It’s tactical by nature and it’s a tool to achieve the end game … brand engagement.

One does not have to look far to find dynamic examples of how smart marketers are using the enormous power of social media. Today, I saw this headline:

“The Gap Steps Up to Social Media in New Denim Campaign.” The article explains that the Gap, admired as much for its TV commercials as for its clothes, was abandoning TV in favor of social media.  What message does this send to an over-stimulated, instant-gratification-seeking group of young marketers? Reading the article makes it easy to assume that the formula is: Any Brand + Social Media = SUCCESS.

The article fails to mention the time, research and strategy that are crucial to brand development … all the thinking that must take place before any tactical considerations, including social media executions, can be developed.

Let’s not lose sight of this basic fact: social media is by definition … media. Just as TV, radio, print and banner ads are all forms of media.  Social media carries the message. It is not the message. This is where many marketers are missing the mark.

Successful brand building starts with a basic understanding of core brand values, i.e., what the brand stands for and the emotional connection it creates with its customers/fans. Understanding these brand fundamentals is critical before a social media (or any media) strategy can be effectively implemented.

 Branding and social media