So, is social media a fad or is it the biggest conversion since the Industrial Revolution? If you still don’t have a web site, guess what? It alone is no longer enough! Matter of fact those who missed the web site “fad” are now going straight to their free web page on Facebook. Find out for yourself at an upcoming seminar.

As of 2010, Generation Y — those born between 1980 and 2000 — outnumbers baby boomers. And 96 percent of them have joined a social network! There was no initiation, no recommendations. no dues, just a few clicks and uploads and now instant connections. There is now immediate information sharing, finding the kid who sat next to you in 2nd grade or a neighbor down the street. Generation Y and Z — the youngest techies, born after 1995, consider e-mail old-fashioned! They want instant communication, not the long “wait” of email!

As technology improves and changes, it also changes the way we live. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users. It took TV 13 years, the internet four years and iPod just three years.

Facebook, added 100 million users in just nine months and now has over 500 million users. Not bad for a company that began on a college campus. If Facebook were a country, it would have the third largest population behind only China and India. The fastest growing segment of Facebook is women ages 55-65. One out of eight couples married in the United States last year met via social media. Just as many got divorced or lost a job because of a Facebook post.

We no longer search for the news; the news finds us. More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook daily. We will no longer search for products and services, they will find us via social media based on your preferences.

One of the most remarkable employment statistics is that 80 percent of companies are using LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees. Many post job opportunities on Linkedin they don’t post any where else! Also some companies will NOT even consider you if you don’t have a Linkedin Profile!

Successful companies in social media have learned the importance of listening first and selling second. They act more like event planners and content providers than traditional advertisers. They come up with content that will engage conversation. I am adamant that…” If you plan it and post it, they will come!”

My Best,
Kathy Kane
Market Insights, LLC