January 20, 2012
The Art of Listening
Have you ever noticed how many people are using social media these days? Everyone from your best friend to your mom is posting on Twitter, Facebook and other online communities. What would you do if I now told you that someone was listening to what’s being said? All the conversation online, ranging from opinion sharing to insightful product reviews to emotional support makes social media the largest focus groups and companies are beginning to listen.
According to SocialMediabiz.com, the companies that will succeed in the current market place, “will be social businesses, committed to forging deep and meaningful relationships with their customer”. Organizations that hope to connect with their consumers, need to be dedicated to listening what they have to say. Online monitoring or “listening” is almost a necessity for any organization. Organizations large and small have invested serious dollars to putting their ear to the metaphorical ground to inform their decisions relating to “product development, customer support, public outreach, lead generation, market research and campaign measurement.”
Most conversation online are unsolicited, that’s what makes it so pure and valuable. For instance, a pharmaceutical company wants to hear how patients talk about their drugs and an agency wants to know what aspect of their commercial is annoying. Companies also “listen in” to put out threatening fires and reach out extraordinary customers.
In terms of executing a listening strategy, there are tons of social media monitoring vendors, each designed to fit the varying needs in the market place. To get an understanding of what providers our out there, check out “The Forrester Wave”, a 2010 evaluation of the top listening platforms in the market.
Social media monitoring is a practice that is here to stay, so why don’t you stop and listen…you may be surprised what you hear.
Filed under: Communications, Social Media
December 1, 2011
Maturity within the Social Media Space
Amid stuffing my face at my family’s annual Thanksgiving feast, I noticed my older cousin taking a picture of the table setting with her iPhone. Moments later, I received a confirmation from Facebook that I, along with some other relatives at the table, had been tagged in the photo taken by my cousin moments earlier. Given that I have come of age with Facebook and other social media platforms (I’m in the latter half of my 20’s – shhhhhh!) such acts have become common occurrence. What was surprising was the fact that my cousin is part of the baby boomer generation and was just as social media savvy as a pre-teen or tween.
As a digested my food, I began to realize that there is no longer a generational gap when it comes to social media. According to Nielsen’s recent State of the Media: The Social Media Report, nearly “4 in 5 active internet users” are visiting social networking sites. Furthermore, those internet users over the age of 55 are significantly aiding the growth of “social networking” through mobile devices (twice as many as last year).
Some other interesting insights regarding the demographic breakout of social media include:
- Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other U.S. website
- Females and 18-34 year olds are the most active social networks users
- Nearly 2 in 5 social media users access services through mobile devices
- More women watch videos on social networks, but men watch longer
- Active social media users are influential offline
The pace of social media’s growth within the online space is certainly not a surprise to anyone. What does fascinate me though is the maturity of social media’s users. What the Nielsen report shows is that though sites such as Facebook may have been intended for a younger audience, it’s quickly being adopted by an older demographic.
We’re clearly living in global “social” village, so move over 25-34 year olds – an older, wiser and more influential demographic is joining the space.
Filed under: Communications, New Media, Social Media
November 9, 2011
Crisis in the Horn of Africa: FWD the Facts
Many Americans aren’t aware that more than four times as many people are currently in crisis in the Horn of Africa than were affected by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and that a child dies in Somalia every six minutes. You can help. You can do more than just donate, you can save lives.
I’m joining USAID and the Ad Council to spread the word and support the FWD campaign to provide food, water and shelter to the hundreds of thousands of starving and sick populations in the refugee camps in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, where families fight every day to survive.
Here is an image of one of on such survivor, fighting for the lives of her children on a daily basis. Alima Ali Abdi, 37, holds one of her three children as she waits in line to be received at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya on August 20, 2011. “The journey here was very difficult,” said Alima. Her family walked 16 days on foot from Somalia, and “it was hard on the children.” They were pastoralists in Somalia, with a herd of almost 50 cows and 30 goats. When asked if any of them were left, she said, “They were all washed away by the drought.”
The FWD campaign represents not only the issues of Famine, War and Drought that people in these countries face every day, but also the solution: Forward this message to your friends, your families, your co-workers.
The campaign makes it easy. Go online and use the tools available at www.usaid.gov/fwd where there are resources to help make a real impact in the Horn. Infographics, a campaign toolkit and messaging that can be posted on Facebook, tweeted or posted on your web page can all be shared with just a click of your mouse or a text message. Visit www.usaid.gov/fwd or text GIVE to 777444 to donate $10 to support famine and drought relief in the Horn of Africa.
A crisis that affects more than 13 million is too big to be ignored. It may seem impossible to believe that one person can make a difference, but you can be a vehicle for change by sharing this message. Our goal for today is to have one share for every person currently being affected in the Horn of Africa (a total of 13 million shares). Tweet, post and talk to your friends and family to help spread the word.
Do what I’m doing. Tell everyone. Tell anyone. Do more than donate. Forward the facts.
Filed under: Campaigns, Communications, Federal Government Communications, Social Media
Tags: Ad Council, Africa, Ashley Judd, crisis, famine, FWD, Horn of Africa, USAID
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