Get Used To It

I was recently listening to people my age trash online social networks and specifically, Facebook. I think Facebook was the chosen goat because that’s the only social network name that everyone could recall. It’s interesting how so many in the graying group proudly announce that they don’t participate in online social networks. I can remember when some of my friends didn’t have a phone; I can remember one who didn’t have electricity. That all changed, and so will attitudes toward online social networks.

Look around at any given setting and notice how when people are given a moment of free time, they’re checking their mobile devices, which are those things that some people still call a phone. And, it’s not just the younger generation; these days everybody is a palm reader.

Why should a small business owner care about social media? Millennials. What are millennials? They’re the thirty and under gang who are now beginning to shop with their own money. And, the way they make their choices is radically different than their parents.

Millennials aren’t easily influenced by traditional marketing strategies and are heavily dependent on product reviews from family, friends, and even internet strangers they’ve never met. When you think about it, taking the word of a total stranger isn’t much different than my generation being influenced by the likes of John Cameron Swayze tossing a Timex into the sea to demonstrate the watch’s durability. We all believed that a Timex could take a licking and keep on ticking. What the heck did Swayze do to earn our trust other than appear on TV?

Millennials use Facebook. The average Facebook user has 130 friends, but a Facebook friend is different than a real friend. A real friend will help you change a flat tire; a Facebook friend would consider the idea of actually meeting you in person kind of creepy. Facebook users like to share information. Let’s do the math. A person posts something of interest on their Facebook and all 130 of their friends see it and then share that with their friends. And then, those friends share the post with their friends. Even when considering for the likelihood of mutual friends, the original post is shared with literally thousands before the day is through. A business can do the same thing, except a business Facebook has fans, which are the same as friends, except different. Confused yet?

The viral nature of online social networks is intriguing but that’s not the most important element. It’s no longer kids playing on their phones. This wireless linking is now the primary source of information for the next generation of shoppers. The sooner a business gets in the mix and begins building an online brand, the better. The longer one waits the more difficult it will be to break through the clutter and be fanned or friended by the next generation of shoppers. Get used to it.