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

See you here: www.twitter.com/mday55
Or here: www.linkedin.com/pub/mason-day/20/9aa/233/
And Apparently here: mday55@gmail.com
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Generate This

What happens when they run out of letters? Just this morning I saw an article addressing the need to start marketing to “Generation Z”, which consists of everyone under the age of 18 or 19. Who is in charge of setting up these age ranges anyway? I do agree that we as the horticultural and agricultural industries should always be mindful of the youth, so that we have both future customers and future industry leaders.  I also agree that we should be getting a jump on reaching this demographic because we did a terrible job of reaching this age group when “Generation Y” was in their shoes. However, I also think we need to see what is directly in front of us. We still don’t have a clue how to reach Generation Y, the group of consumers who are rapidly gaining power within the economy. In order to even have a business to cater to the “Next, Next Generation”, we have to figure out what to do NOW.

As I mentioned in the last post, one of the reasons that we truly haven’t been successful in marketing to the Millennial Generation is that we spend a lot of our time trying to oversimplify them. We try to put the most diverse and dynamic subsets of people into one large bundle. Don’t be a bundler (isn’t that what the commercials say?).

I want to get you to step back and really start to see how different this generation really is, and how you are going to have to become diverse in your efforts and products to achieve success. I’m going to show you how, in America, this whole generation can be separated into three drastically different subgroups; however, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Generation Y could be and should be thought of in a thousand subsets not just three. This is merely an effort in division to get your gears going.

Let’s start off with Amber. She represents the first grouping of Generation Y in our story. Amber just celebrated her 30^th birthday by purchasing a new home with her husband Mark. They have a one year old daughter with another baby on the way. Amber and Mark both have steady jobs with good income. They really want to settle themselves into the stereotypical suburban setting. Mark is planning on building a garden in the backyard to raise tomatoes and hot peppers. Amber remembers her grandmother’s hydrangeas and decides that she needs to have beautiful flowers around their house. They don’t know a thing about plants, but they have the space, money, and time to experiment.

Amber is married, and financially stable. She also represents just about 1out of 3 millennials by owning a house as well. She doesn’t see plants as a gamble because she has the disposable income. She has space for them as well as the money to afford them, and her fond memories inspire her to buy.

Now let’s take a look at Reid. Reid is 28, has a pretty good job, and lives in an apartment with his roommate. Though Reid knows that he wants to settle down someday, he enjoys his freedom. He likes to travel and spends a lot of his free time on the go. From surfing, to hiking, to exploring city nightlife, Reid uses his time and money to adventure. He respects the environment, and wants the most for his money with every dollar he spends.

The plants that we are used to selling really don’t fit Reid’s lifestyle. He needs something that can fit his busy time schedule. He’s not home all the time which makes watering a challenge. Also, a Reid spends a lot of time researching his purchases and wants to buy from a company that he can stand behind. He goes out of his way to support good causes. However he also wants plants that have a function. Skip the boring with this guy, it just won’t work.

Last, let’s talk about Max. Max is 25. Times have been tough on Max. The economy dropped when he was in school, and he came into the job market at a really down time. Max just moved back in with his parents, and is paying rent and looking for better job. Max knows this isn’t the end for him, he just knows that it’s going to take time to get back on his feet. Until he saves up the money for his own place, he’s perfectly ok with the homemade meatloaf.

Max has almost no disposable income. Sadly this is an altogether too common feeling for many twenty-somethings in America. They have had to put big chunks of their lives on hold while they work up the ladders. We have nothing to sell to guys like Max. However we have to make sure that we still catch his interest, because some day Max is going to start the next Microsoft, and we need to be there to cash in with him. How do we keep Max’s interest while not actively trying to sell him something?

These three examples are just a few of thousands that could be used to describe Generation Y. We have to target our markets carefully or become so diverse as to reach them all. Grouping millions of people with different life situations together gets us nowhere. It’s about really figuring out who you want your customer to be, making sure they actually exist and then doing what you need to do to bring them in the door.

You can ALWAYS find me here:

www.twitter.com/mday55

and

mday55@gmail.com

annnnd

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mason-day/20/9aa/233