Today I attended the an Allied Executives Social Media Workshop. I would not consider myself someone in need of a Social Media workshop however I still thought there would be a benefit of going. The group consisted mostly of CEOs, VPs, and Execs (Obviously…. Allied Executives!) who’s average age was most likely in the 40’s and 50’s. Granted those people generally know much less about social media than my generation, there is still always something to learn. I must say I did learn more than I was expecting to, mostly about generational differences and the way we communicate.
As someone who is looking to make a career out of social media marketing I would like to consider myself someone who is very passionate and informed on the platform. As the panelist of speakers took their turns talking about social media a few things came to mind.
Social media is more than marketing, more than advertising, more than peer reviews it is everything rolled together. One statistic that was used repeatedly during the seminar (not sure where it was pulled from) was that 18% of people trust ads, and 78% of people trust peer reviews. I don’t having a hard time believing that statistic, generally. More people visit Facebook everyday than Google, which supports the fact that we do indeed look to our peers for valuable and credible information. Advertising influences how we feel about something, sometimes on more of a subliminal level. Advertising tends to use an icon, celebrity, feeling, or idea to shape your opinions. Social media influences you in a different way. For one we often seek out others to help shape our opinion on certain things…… If the new Hudson jeans stretch out, if the new Bar in uptown is any good, what Amanda thinks of her new Honda!….. So much information passes on so many different platforms. With social media, you instantly contemplate a purchase/idea/brand as opposed to traditional advertising where you have to be exposed to it a number of times before you start actively thinking about what is being “sold”.
Another very large issue incorporating social media is the generational gap. One of the panelists today said that he was so against getting involved with social media but knew that he had to, because it is a sink or swim situation. He said that social media “consumes so much time”…what?! I was sitting there thinking to myself, what are you talking about? Social media is one of the most efficient tools you can use to reach your customers; its easy, clear, and straight forward. But that is my generation, I think social media is easy and clear because it is burned into the way I interact and communicate. It is not burned into older generations. That is a disconnecting point for many companies.
