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April 02, 2008
Social media - I'm having a mid 20's crisis?!

I attended a social media conference over the past two days in Toronto. It offered an excellent smorgasbord of speakers who provided compelling information supported by great examples from their own recent social media projects.

At times social media appears overwhelming with the abundance of new tools created every day. It looks like some of the new social media stuff out there lives in that mysterious realm of 'anything is possible'. I continually ask myself how some of it can be applicable to projects at work, and how on earth to measure it and prove that I’m just not wasting my time.

Over the past year, I feel like I've been constantly inundated with social media up the ying-yang through trade magazines, internet, etc. It’s that hot topic right now that I'm over-saturated with. Social media is the current communications bandwagon that I haven’t exactly driven.

The sessions at the conference really brought me close to driving the whole bandwagon off the cliff. And I now realize that I need to dive off into the water so I can avoid the rocks or even better, maybe I could parasail instead.

I was able to return home with a great list of new MEASURABLE tools to consider integrating into my current communications strategy. I'm looking forward to 'testing the waters' with many of the free social network sites and applications to potentially help add value to my existing efforts.

One constant theme throughout the sessions was that social media has really been built by, and serves, a demographic that is generally younger. I did hear some peanut gallery comments that it’s all based around the fact that younger people have ADD, so this must be the best way to reach them in 10 seconds or less.

What's odd is that on my drive back, my mind kept jumping to how I feel so behind in embracing social media - and I’m a member of generation Y. Quite honestly, I thought I was one of the youngest people sitting in the room. So why do I feel so behind if this stuff is specifically built for me? It made me feel slightly frustrated that I haven't fully understood how to utilize social media until now. No one ever told me that there was such a thing as having a mid-20’s crisis!

comments, Post A Comment!

lubetkin posted 01/18/2008:

I concur with Jeffrey and Lee Hopkins. As communications counselors always whining for a seat at the management table, we need to hold ourselves accountable to learn about these new communications channels -- for that is all they really are, whether you call it "social media" or something else. We need to be able to counsel our clients (internal or external) about what is appropriate and what is not.

SummerA posted 01/18/2008:

Social media isn't only difficult for communicators to keep up with, but our IT departments as well. Realistically, even when/if we find a strategic use for a SM tool, my company’s IT dept. is a good two years behind the consumer trend. Case-in-point – my group presented our case for RSS feeds and blogs two-years ago and is still waiting on the consensus. In defense of IT, they struggle with the same budget and resource constraints we all do. If a tool is brought inside the company it has to be supported, generally with dedicated resources, training of same, etc. And using free external tools is not an option because of the security issues that come with them – not in my company anyway.

GerardBraud posted 01/18/2008:

Too many communicators who sit at computers all day think that the rest of the work force sits in front of computers all day. It's not the end all be all. Social media is just one more tool for SOME workers and SOME audiences. It is in it's infancy. Like raising a child, give social media time to mature, go through the awkward teens and mature into an adult.

dmendelson posted 01/18/2008:

Universal McCanns Global Research Into Impact of Social Media http://www.universalmccann.com/Assets/wave_3_20080403093750.pdf "This project is an ongoing commitment by Universal McCann to measure consumer usage, attitudes and interests in adopting social media platforms and is the largest exploration of its kind. It aims to provide the facts behind the hype...This report (Wave 3) surveyed 17,000 internet users in 29 countries and was completed in March 2008. Power to the people, Social Media Tracker, Wave 3.0, March 2008 - Wave 3 Highlights: Social media is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of wider economic, social and cultural development. If you are online you are using social media Asian markets are leading in terms of participation, creating more content than any other region All social media platforms have grown significantly over the three Waves Video Clips are the quickest growing platform, up from 31% penetration in Wave 1 to 83% in Wave 3 57% have joined a Social Network, making it the number one platform for creating and sharing content 55% of users have uploaded photos 22% of users have uploaded videos Blogs are a mainstream media world-wide and as a collective rival any traditional media 73% have read a blog The blogsphere is becoming increasingly participatory, now 184m bloggers world-wide China has the largest blogging community in the world with 42m bloggers, more than the US and Western Europe combined."

brands2music posted 01/18/2008:

This post made me polish off an article I wrote for the UK CIPR Journal several centuries ago, the main point of which I think still holds true today. For multimedia (circa 1995) replace social media (circa 2007) with surprisingly few provisos. “Public relations practitioners have little choice but to rise to the multimedia challenge if we are to compete in an increasingly dynamic communication industry, to flourish rather than survive. Ultimate success is better founded on adapting our current strengths to the ever-widening communicopia - through a highly developed understanding of clients’ business, an appreciation of corporate and brand positioning, and the ability to reach specific audiences, rather than jumping on the techno-junkie bandwagon.” Have a look at: http://internetbrandingstrategy.blogspot.com/2008/04/challenge-of-communicopia.html and let me know what you think. I was once told that the people who know what to do always work for the people who know why. Too many people seem to focus on the former, without paying enough attention to the latter. I think once we get to that stage in the debate it will be more interesting!

brands2music posted 01/18/2008:

I've posted my response at http://internetbrandingstrategy.blogspot.com/. Don't be afraid, although its a blog the content is drawn from an article I wrote while in my 20s (several centuries ago now) for the journal of the currently social-media unfriendly UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Social media doesn't frighten me, but not knowing what I was trying to achieve with it (important distinction) would scare the hell out of me. The upshot? Public relations practitioners have little choice but to rise to the social media challenge if we are to compete in an increasingly dynamic communication industry, to flourish rather than survive. Ultimate success is better founded on adapting our current strengths to the ever-widening communicopia - through a highly developed understanding of clients' business, an appreciation of corporate and brand positioning, and the ability to reach specific audiences, rather than jumping on the techno-junkie bandwagon. If this is your training, and your focus for prioritising what you do, adding social media into the mix shouldn't be so frightening. Its not about what the latest widget or social network is - those are just details, and you can relatively easily and cheaply buy that knowledge in. I was once told that the people who know what to do will always work for the people who know why: which do you plan to be?

leehopkins posted 01/18/2008:

I'm stunned! Are we not all communications professionals? Is it not our job, nay responsibility, to be on top of communication tools? We don't have to understand them and know how to use them at a deep level, but we need to know they exist and what uses they serve. You have a responsibility to your selves, your families who depend on your income, and your employers/clients to get up to speed on this stuff. Pronto. And in the best tradition of management, if you don't have the time then either find the time or delegate. Because I can guarantee you that in five years' time, if you don't have some social media campaigns under your belt you are going to be 'below par' to your peers and employers. Shape up or get out of the way. Lee (turning 50 this year)

dmendelson posted 01/18/2008:

Well, at 62 I guess I'm one of the geezers on this forum (actually 2 weeks tool to be a Boomer ). Still, the social networks we are talking about seem invitingly familiar to me. In some ways they are just the old fraternaty or barber shop or bridge club in virtual form. Suddenly the new virtual world seems like a network of small towns where you know everybody and everybody knows you. You gain admission by earning your street cred or getting somebody who already has cred to vouch for you. It just happens that our little virtual town has no geographic boundaries. Our new boundaries are common interests, common needs and common goals. I worked as a newspaper editor in a very small town in Missouri some years ago. The center of information, the exchange, was at Mack and Hatty's Cafe, where all the regulars who worked in businesses on the town square met for breakfast. We sat at the Liars' Table and swapped stoires, info, gossip and important news. I filled many of the pages of my newspaper with the stuff I gleaned from the Liars' Table. Things may move faster today, but a village is a village, whether phycical or virtual, and the kind of interconnectedness we have gained from the new social networks is refreshingly new and oldfashioned at the same time.

thoskins posted 01/18/2008:

I'm old, too, at 35. And I feel kind of like a traitor to my profession because I'm so tired of the Internet. I work on a computer all day. The last thing I want to do when I come home is...sit in front of my computer. I realize that we live in a virtual world. I actually came up with a concept for a business that encourages more human, in person interaction. You start to miss that spark of live interaction when you live online. Maybe it's just me, perhaps my generation? We didn't have e-mail until my senior year of college and at that time, no one I knew really used it. That was 1994. Things are so different now!

KDodge posted 01/18/2008:

Social media is definitely overwhelming, even for a 20-something. There is too much, too fast, and who has time to keep up? Being a generation Yer myself, I disagree with social media being the top way to reach us. Our generation is constantly on the go, and we don't have time to check out the latest tool. But, if it can work in 3 clicks and save us time, sure, we'll try it.

dryder posted 01/18/2008:

I'm guessing that at 44, I fall into the "old" category - though much like Annette, I hardly feel I am old at all - except maybe when it comes to SM. Out of all the comments I've read, though - I seem to have the unique challenge/hurdle/barrier of working for that dinosaur known as the federal government! Social media is nearly non-existent (thank God I discovered MyRagan, though!) and pulling civil servants into the 21st Century when it comes to any technologically savvy tool is like pulling (dinosaur) teeth! We don't even have access to YouTube for heaven's sake, because it's viewed as a security risk! So, at least most of you don't have that problem to contend with - be grateful!

knowpreneur posted 01/18/2008:

I just posted something similar on my blog http://infoflow.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/enough-with-the-social-networking/ I don't think it's a question of age, but of change and the speed at which it's happening. Perhaps when you're younger you don't have as much to do, so it's easier to keep up with all this new social media. But anyone trying to make it in a job or a business today is beginning to be overwhelmed by it all because they don't have the time for it. So they're starting to question the value of it all. Merely being able to contact someone instantly and chat might be fine if you're a teenager, but I know that like many here, I'm starting to pick and choose my social networks for worth.

diannaott posted 01/18/2008:

What feels "new" now is actually very old. I'm a boomer (53). Can any of you remember the old bulletin boards (think 'The Well' and CompuServe forums)? And even before the computer age our parents had Bridge clubs and bowling leagues and sororities and fraternities and the Rotary Club. These "networks" connected people also. Recommended reading: The Cluetrain Manifesto and Bowling Alone.

Shari posted 01/18/2008:

For me, it's not about fear. It's the time commitment.

donker10 posted 01/18/2008:

This surge in social media tools is very similar to the (now long ago)concepts of PR research and relating our business to Return On Investment (ROI). When they were first introduced, many balked (and still do) that they were really needed or were truly beneficial to many programs. We now know that every program needs to incorporate these concepts on some level or they will fail. The same will be true of social media. There is much to decipher and mold, but we have to jump into the fray and learn what we can, use what we can.

AHDenver posted 01/18/2008:

Social media from a users perspective... I'm so tired of social media. I actually just blogged about it the other day. I have too much going on in the real world to check all the different networks everyday and keep to updating each one with the new things I do and adding more photos to each one. The novelty of going out there and finding people and reading about their vacations and kids has long worn thin. I liken it to when your neighbors get back from a trip and want you to look at thier slide show. For me, social media sites have become another email address to check with a slightly differnt list of contacts on each one.

Danette posted 01/18/2008:

I agree with Jeffrey that all tools, regardless of social media, traditional media, etc., require knowing your target audience and apply as needed with the definite knowledge that YMMV. I think demographic comments are interesting. I'm 47 and use social media tools far more than almost anyone I've talked to in my office within the generation that is supposedly using them the most. I've heard many comments from young and older staff that we need to provide some social media training to enable people to use the new tools we've introduced. I hope to conduct some webinars in the near future or else our investment (time mostly) in the tools will be for naught. Additionally, the comments most frequently heard from staff tend to be with regard to not having the time to access and utilize these tools within their workday. This is interesting to some of the boomers (me included) who feel "obligated" to take advantage of all company tools and know as much as possible even if it means using personal, non-billable time. Thus, I think the actual demographics for inhouse social media tools shift.

gatorkelly posted 01/18/2008:

I am 29 (yeesh), and I feel I have a pretty good grasp on social media tools, but I also worked with college students for three years. I'm a fan of Facebook, not so much Myspace anymore. Myspace is like the trailer park of social networking (sorry -- maybe a non-PC analogy). I think Annette hit the nail on the head -- it isn't so much about being overwhelmed by these new tools but balancing the equation of their use. I am finding I simply cannot use all the tools all the time. I'd go nuts. I pick and choose which media work best for different objectives. The problem is that everyone is trying to use ALL social media for EVERY project, and it just doesn't work. We wouldn't always use the same traditional media for every project, so why act differently because of these new tools?

LoSierra posted 01/18/2008:

I recently sat down with the CEO of a social networking operation. My friends, social media runs deeper and holds greater marketing power than you can imagine. As marcom professionals we see the tip of the iceberg -- give our constituencies a place to meet and discuss our products and/or services. I've long believed that these sorts of things can't be forced down audiences' throats. To have meaning and sustainabilty a social networking site must be created organically. That being said, I am learning more each day. Still trying to wrap my brain around the potential.

MarianaSarceda posted 01/18/2008:

I'm in my early thirties and I feel prehistoric. I'm starting my way in this social media thing and I'm rather clueless at it. Why aren't there any training courses for us?

MarkRagan posted 01/18/2008:

Anna, I agree with your comment about the four-year generation gap. I have noticed that young people over the age of 28 or so are just as clueless as the boomers about most social media tools. In fact, I would say that many 23-year-olds have fallen behind college sophmores in the social media world. Mark

audioconnell posted 01/18/2008:

The growth of social media tools is like a rocket's path at take off....so many tools being developed so quickly that there's no way any of us can keep up and still do our jobs well. Don't even get me started on how to figure out which applications are valuable and which aren't. But certainly, step back. If you're feeling overwhelmed by social media, give it a rest. It will be here when you get back and there will be a ton more stuff to know. And, btw, nobody is really keeping up, they are only keeping up appearances. Best always, - Peter

Annette posted 01/18/2008:

No matter what tools become available, nothing replaces research and strategic planning when it comes to getting results.

Jeffrey posted 01/18/2008:

The thing is, you have to ask the same questions about social media tools (emphasis on "tools") as you do with any other tool. What are you trying to do with it? Who are you trying to reach? Is this the most effective or credible way to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish. Eg., the online community I recently created (www.ourworldcommunity.ning.com) is geared toward people who are interested in sharing ideas about using their purchasing and investing power to promote socially responsible business practices. Very targeted. The idea grew out of my desire to be better informed on this topic and the lack of a single place (a la MyRagan) to connect with similarly minded people on this subject. I found there was a lot of INFORMATION out there, but very scattered. So, I started using these tools to aggregate and organize content that would draw people like me into a conversation. This is a very different (and, I believe, more sensible) approach than saying, "Oooh, MySpace and Second Life and wikis are hot! Our company needs to be there!"

LizzGunnufsen posted 01/18/2008:

I think I understand how you feel. I just went to one of those conferences, learned a ton, registered at all the free sites, and coaxed my co-workers to try them, too. I think the difference between me and my teenage daughter is that for me, SM is effort. For her, it's reality. I need to figure out how to balance keeping up to date enough to use the tools wisely and still feeding my desire to be "in-world." Anyone have suggestions for maintaining the balance?

Annette posted 01/18/2008:

Each generation, regardless of the number of years that separates it from the one before or the one after, feels a certain level of fear when facing changes of any kind. It's human nature to step timidly into uncertain territory. However trite the saying, it's true that knowledge is power. By learning about that which we fear, we come to know it and it becomes more approachable. Like Jeffrey, I'm old--approaching the half-century mark in not too many years. My mind, on the other hand, refuses to recognize my body's chronological age and insists on being childlike ("-LIKE", not "-ish"). That childlike quality embraces "why?", "how?" and all the other questions that keep me learning about all the new stuff that keeps on trying to overwhelm us. I hope that someday, MANY years from now, my eulogy will include the words "she never stopped learning".

SueJohnston posted 01/18/2008:

Ew, Ragan - What a misleading headline. You're not a daily newspaper; you need not resort to these tricks to get us to read your stuff.

I was fooled into thinking someone had finally found a way to articulate that uneasy feeling that, while (anti)social media is interesting and important, and will probably even be useful some day, in its current configuration it's kinda weak. I'm paying attention, because I'm a communicator (and because I've lived on the Net since before it was legal). But the signal-to-noise ratio with SN is still pretty low.

Jeffrey's point, that it has to be focussed, is right on.

Good communication should be tool-indifferent? I worry that, as communicators, we're getting distracted by the tech. It's the part of the communication iceberg we can see - the stuff below the murky surface is the part that's (really and always, regardless of the media or tool) about people.

Jeffrey posted 01/18/2008:

Yup. You're old already (I'm 45). I came back from a similar conference a few months ago, though, looking at my teenagers' web activities VERY differently. Old folks like me may actually be getting ahead of the curve out of fear of completely losing touch with our kids.