Dude.....You've Changed.

One of the first things you learn in life is that nothing stays the same. As you grow up seasons change, different trends become popular, governments sway from one side of the aisle to the other, and Van Halen gets a new lead singer. Ok so maybe I wasn’t there for the forming of Van Hagar, but you get the point. Everything changes. This is even truer in today’s technology fueled society. Websites, gadgets, and gizmos are constantly being improved upon and changed to fit consumers changing lifestyles and demands. The same thing is happening with Social Media. 

Since I got involved in the social media game a couple of years ago a lot has changed. It wasn’t until I started looking back that I noticed how much was actually different and what was still the same. For those of us that spend a fair chunk of our free time checking out the latest feeds on Facebook and Twitter change isn’t an issue. We are surprised by it for a few minutes or maybe a couple of days, but then we move on. However, for those of you that aren’t a slave to your Samsung Galaxy or any one of the numerous Appleganda devices, change can be quite noticeable. If you have taken an extended break from the social (media) scene, these changes can be a roadblock on the path to picking back up. I feel for you so I’m leaving you with just a little advice and a strong urge to shoot me any questions you might have after reading this post. 

Facebook – Don’t worry it’s still the number one site in town. It hasn’t gone all “Myspace” on us yet. Sure, Google + is throwing big numbers out there, but they still don’t have the type of use or social traffic to compete yet. However, Facebook is losing some ground. Young visitors don’t necessarily see it as the playground that it used to be. Also with the new algorithms that Facebook has put in place your fans don’t always see your content. It started out as a great (read: Free) way to connect to new audiences and current customers. Now Facebook is all about the pay to play. If you want to get exposure for your business page, you have to throw in a couple dollars towards FB ads. Luckily you can be extremely selective with your demographics.

Twitter – Twitter is probably the least changed. Everything is still 140 characters or less. Teenies are still filling up news feeds about Justin Bieber and One Direction. Not much besides a few vanity changes. However, big things are in the works here. Twitter desperately wants more of that Facebook money and has been testing out new profile prototypes. Luckily you made it back now before any major changes happened. Also, Hashtags are still here although it’s beginning to seem that perhaps their value is depleting a great deal. 

Pinterest – Pinterest is still alive more than ever. Things have remained relatively the same except that they are now recognizing business and have a validation process. Things are getting cleaner and Pinterest is learning how to become better at what they do, and how to capitalize on partnering with businesses. Lately they’ve been working with Target to boost sales. Pinterest gets it. They are an ecommerce site in disguise. 

Snapchat – Apparently the all powerful Evan Spiegel must have something great up his sleeve. He turned down deals with Facebook and really in my opinion came off as a cocky tool in his conversations with “The Zuck”. McDonald’s recently got involved with some Snap campaigns. It could be cool for you to use with some of those high value customers out there. Right now it could serve as a way to invigorate your old mailing list. Maybe some of those weekly emails can be replaced with a few Snaps?

Everything else – Expect this category to explode this year. As we find new ways to connect we will become even more social. Like I have said many times: I expect that in the next year or so we will see many more smaller niche social sites going after one or two demographics of people, and catering to their wants and needs. I think we are exiting the era of mass communication. We  know that we can say something to the entire planet, but we now know that there are ways to share things with a select group of people. We have gotten past the “I just ate a sandwich” tweet…..or at least I hope. 

For all things horticulture and social please contact me anytime here: mday55@gmail.com

Also find me on LinkedIn here: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mason-day/20/9aa/233

And you know you can always tweet at me here: www.twitter.com/mday55 

The Writings on the Wall.... or is it Timeline?

Teens are leaving Facebook! Teens are leaving Facebook! I repeat, Teens are leaving Facebook! If you spend any time reading social media news or studies on popular culture, you might think that this is the headline of 2014. The prophets are heralding the demise of a giant! According to some “experts”, brands should set sail today for better waters.

Breathe deep. Relax. It isn’t the apocalypse. Sure, there are signs showing that teens are becoming less interested in Facebook, but it is far from the end. We are simply seeing a shift in the way new generations think. Trust me, Facebook, will continue to be popular in the next few years. We now have people 40 years and up hooked on Facebook, and to them it moves at a speed that they are comfortable with. Don’t expect that age group to leave any time soon. In the horticultural industry, our main age group of customers is still discovering the social network and still remains highly active on Facebook. Yes, we have to worry about reaching younger audiences, but we also have to make sure we don’t alienate those customers that we already have. Don’t give up on Facebook just yet. Hopefully, with that your Social Media stress levels are coming back to normal.

However, that still leaves us to solve the other issue at hand. If all of these young people are leaving Facebook, where are they going and why are they leaving? It would be really easy to say that they’re leaving Facebook because social media was a fad. I know a few people that are still waiting around to hear that. Sorry, but that’s not the case. It’s not that people are leaving social media. People are evolving in how they use these platforms and which platforms they use. Back in 2005 we had two social sites: Facebook and Myspace. Those were the only two mainstream platforms you had to choose from (bloggers I’m leaving you out of this). Think about where we are 9 years later. We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Snapchat, Vine, Pheed, Foursquare, and about a thousand other social networks.

Teens are leaving Facebook because they are finding better ways to connect. We, Millennials were the real proponents of Facebook and Myspace because we had this need to feel like we could access the entire world. We were the first generation to grow up as part of a true global community, and we had to break all the rules that were previously established.  For the generation that follows us, this is old news. Being able to connect across the globe is nothing new. They were born into a global system. The concept of social media connecting them to people in Japan and Africa is more of a “Duh” moment rather than the “A-ha!” Millennials had. They now see it as a means to connect based on specific interests or cliques. It’s about reaching others across the planet, but at the same time finding their niche. That’s why company websites that are working to create miniature social spaces within their own websites are actually succeeding in a lot of cases. They are able to create a space for people who identify with each other to discuss whatever they want. Social media is becoming integrated into teens daily lives everywhere they go so much that they don’t NEED Facebook like Generation Y did.

I predict that over time we will see a decrease in the use of the big social sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, some people will still want to congregate in those large “meeting spaces”. Also Facebook still acts as a major data storage site for people. Pictures and memories are now locked into Facebook’s care. I also predict that we will see an increase in the use of overall social media. People want to connect (well unless you’re Dexter), and this is what social media does for the world. It connects the masses, however big or small they want their groups to be.

Instagram is the new Facebook. #SWAT

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