I recently asked the question, “do you know what social media is?” The response was “teenagers”. If that is your answer, you would be wrong. Generation Y are the children of the Baby boomers also called Echo Boomers. This is the generation born in the late 70s and 80s through 2000. According to some, this group will outnumber the “Baby Boomers” starting next year. One significant finding is that 96% of this generation uses some form of Social Media. This generation grew up with technology around them and they are comfortable with it.
So we need to use these tools in the Social Media bag, to reach not only this generation but the others that are joining in this activity. Less than a year ago the average age on Facebook was 26 it is currently 33. This shift was caused because as more and more parents, in particularly Moms joined Facebook to communicate with their children as they left for college, they realized that a large number of their own friends and family were participating in this form of social networking and jumped in.
Communities and organizations are using this medium to connect with interested people quickly and often about what is happening within a community or organization. It is a form of news and entertainment. The news and information comes in short bursts as little or as often as wanted, whether it is on Facebook, Twitter, flicker, or even You Tube. There are organizations with employees that work full time updating their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to keep people aware of what is happening and to draw customers to their website, where these people can find out more about the organization, an event, read more news, or increase the number of viewers that are exposed to advertisers that pay to be on particular websites.
Another way to reach people is with a blog. What is a blog you say? A blog is a website that can be anything from a personal diary, to a pulpit, to a political soapbox, to a breaking news outlet. What you write on a blog can be about anything you want it to be. There are millions of them. People can read what is new and comment. Blogging has shaken up and reshaped the world of politics, as well as journalism, by giving people a voice and the ability to connect with others.
The title of a recent books says it all, “The Facebook Era, Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell more Stuff.” If we are not able to reach a particular demographic by using a particular means, then a shift has to be made to reach them where they are, rather than trying to force them to come to us. These social mediums are free to use other than the labor and it is a great way to get feedback. You can create interaction with your consumer without being in their face or using hard sell tactics.
Become a fan of the Furnas/Harlan Partnership on Facebook or check out the blog on the home page of their website. For more information contact Rosie Stockton Furnas/Harlan Partnership, 308-962-7894, email: director@furnas-harlan-partnership.org. www.furnas-harlan-partnership.org
