Social Media For Boomers

It’s Your Birthday!

Dan Trzinski — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:21:59 +0000

It may be your birthday but the “feel good wishes” you get from your hundreds of social media friends may not be worth the information you are providing to potential identity thieves. The availability of your full birthday in combination with your address and your mom providing her maiden name on her social media profile may be a dream for someone who would want to steal your identity. The availability of information we provide on our social media profiles really needs to be thought through. If someone is really your friend they should know when it’s your birthday.

As new apps on social media sites become more available we should think about the potential dangers of providing too much information. Just because we can…doesn’t mean we should. Facebook has new privacy settings that allow you to limit access of the personal data you provide to friends. I would suggest you visit your profile on your social media pages without logging in and also from a friend’s computer to see what you are really sharing…then adjust your privacy settings accordingly. You may get a few less “happy birthdays” but it could save you a ton of headaches.

Facebook Takes a Hit

Dan Trzinski — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:14:06 +0000

Facebook is starting to take a hit in the press about the growing privacy concerns among their nearly 500 million users. Hitwise reported a 23% increase in the amount searches related to “deleting a Facebook account”. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg denies that Facebook is playing fast and loose with the personal information of its users and announced that new privacy tools to give its users more control are on the way.
While speaking to a group of business owners on social media last week, I received my first question on the topic of Facebook’s future because of privacy issues. I don’t believe these issues are anything more than a speed bump for Facebook. When a company goes from a college project to nearly a half billion users in less than 5 years there are bound to be growing pains. In the meantime, I will keep watching the progress and investigating new ways to use this tool as a legitimate marketing medium…you should too.

Wisconsin says “Don’t text and drive!”

Dan Trzinski — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:55:17 +0000

Starting in December of 2010 it will be illegal to text, tweet, status update or any other means of text-based mobile communication while driving a motor vehicle. The violation can carry up to a $400 fine if you are caught. This is the same fine as inattentive driving and the enforcement will follow the same protocol. Although I agree with the spirit of the law, if the fine is the same and the enforcement is the same why did we need a new law? The police may ask to see your phone if you are pulled over but you are not obligated to show it to them without a subpoena. The law does not make it illegal to make a voice call, so when you dial a number isn’t that the same as texting? It seems like this was a great “PR law” that calls attention to a bad habit, but with no way to really enforce it. I doubt it will do much good.
Now if the government really wanted to do some good they would make it illegal to use a cell phone on a golf cart!!

Sitting On The Sidelines Of Social Media

Dan Trzinski — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:00:21 +0000

Twice in the past week I heard a business owner say that “down the road” they want to get involved in social. Little do they know they are already involved. They’re just sitting on the sidelines. Social media is not controlled by the advertiser, it is controlled by the consumer. They have decided what is good, bad, relevant, stupid, a rip-off, or a real deal. They are telling their friends and online followers about those experiences millions of times per day…every day!

Getting in the game requires you to listen to those conversations, deciding how your voice and message belongs and then participating. Too many advertisers are shouting their talking points at the potential audience and not engaging in a conversation about what is important to them. Strategically it makes more sense to steer the conversation that is always taking place to what you want to talk about versus just blabbing on about what you want to talk about.

I am sure you have all met that guy at a cocktail party who just walks into your conversation, interrupts and totally changes the subject to what is on his mind…did you like it? Don’t be “that guy”. Get off the sidelines…but remember the rules.

What’s On Your Refrigerator?

Dan Trzinski — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:31:45 +0000

The last few times I spoke on social media I used a new metaphor comparing advertising on Facebook to sending out an electronic refrigerator magnet. Magnet marketing has been effectively used by brands that people are not very passionate about. Real estate agents, insurance companies, carpet cleaners and the like have all sent you refrigerator magnets…but which ones stuck (pun intended)? Usually ones with a sports team schedule, school calendar, or local safety information.

The term I like to use is “borrowed relevance.” These magnet marketers know you probably are not that excited about their business so they are giving you information that you care deeply about. By default their name and info is in your face as well. Facebook Fan pages offer that same opportunity. If you are not a popular fan friendly brand you will need to define what your audience is passionate about, then deliver information about that. This is the practice of borrowed relevance and is not just limited to Facebook. You can create web pages, blogs, forums and a number of other new media tactics about topics your audience has an appetite for and weave your brand into that message.

If you are sitting on the sidelines of social media because you think no one cares about your product or service…think about the thing your audience does care about and get in the game.

Facebook Beats Google

Dan Trzinski — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:34:09 +0000

For the first time Google is no longer America’s most visited website…Facebook is!! In a blog post released by Hitwise, visits to Facebook increased 185% in the past year while traffic to Google only increased 9%.
I believe this trend will continue as our desire to connect with people and products online via social networking grows. People are enjoying reconnecting with old friends and family members on sites like Facebook. They are also sharing information about restaurants they visit, vacations they enjoyed, products they buy or services they use. Marketers can no longer ignore this powerful medium. If your business does not have a social media presence, I encourage you to get involved.
An easy first step is to use social media personally. Create a profile, connect with a few friends, and then observe the process. If you listen first, your strategy for how to engage your audience will become apparent. Remember this is “social” media which means your audience gets to and wants to talk back. Be conversational, don’t just sell stuff. Think about what is important to your audience and talk about that. If you just broadcast a sales message via social media…you will quickly be ignored.

More on Four Square

Dan Trzinski — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:06:10 +0000

My last post was on a mobile application called Four Square. Just read this announcement on new business uses for the App. Stay tuned, I believe this one is going to be good!

Where are you?

Dan Trzinski — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:25:43 +0000

The latest in social media is the GPS-based mobile game/search application called Four Square. What Twitter is to “what’s happening”, Four Square is to “where are you”. This one is a little scary but I have to admit I am kind of hooked. The app allows you to connect with your friends and share your actual whereabouts. You also score points for checking in at places and adding places to the game. The points are meaningless but they create a sense of competition between not only you and your friends, but also you and others playing the game in your town.
What’s the purpose? Well, actually the game is tied to Google Maps and comes in handy when looking for venues near your current location especially when you don’t know exactly where they are. You just press your check-in button on the game and it populates a list of venues close to you. This assumes someone else has added the venue to the game. You can also add tips to a venue like “order the ribs at Bates City BBQ” or “don’t get your oil changed at Joe’s auto…it’s a rip off.”
Four square is definitely an application to watch. It combines the attributes of mobile, social and search media which is definitely in the “what’s next” column of emerging media. If you are a business it is to your benefit to add your location(s) to the game. If you are a player…be careful who you add as friends and what information you share. Keep an eye on this one!

Yes I am still alive!

Dan Trzinski — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:29:15 +0000

I am not going to make excuses about why I haven’t posted in so long…1) because I don’t have a good one and 2) I doubt that you care. But Crystal in my office came across a great post that I would like to share about the growth of social media and its projected future. We are seeing tremendous interest in this emerging media since I started this blog over a year ago…maybe that’s why I have had time to post?!?!

Wave or Tsunami?

Dan Trzinski — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:44:38 +0000

Wave or Tsunami?

I haven’t posted for a quite a while and for what its worth I do feel bad about it. But I spent the past few hours taking a look at Google Wave and what other people are saying. It seems like a Google has a winner on its hands and once again will move us forward in tsunami like fashion in the way we connect via the web.

Google Wave is taking the best of all online publishing and social media tools and combining them in to one nice neat package. Right now it is still in the testing phase but it wont be long before you start hearing people talking about the wave. I came across this video that is a nice video demonstration of that basic principles of Google Wave.

I for one am always fascinated by what’s next so as soon as I can get my hands on it…I’ll be waving!