Bridging the Generation Gap (one message at a time)

So my daughter and son just celebrated their 27th and 24th birthdays this past week. (full disclosure: I was 12 when she was born. okay, okay not really.) Normally, I'd give them a call (on their mobile phone, of course) and wish them a happy birthday. Not this year.

This year, I left my son a birthday greeting on his Facebook page since he's at home (temporarily). For my daughter, who is out on her own (thank goodness) and has a steady job, I sent a text message since she communicates most regularly with her friends that way. The funny thing is, she thought it was kind of cute that her Dad was communicating that way and she actually called me to tell me. My son, of course, said nothing about it. But hey, that's just the way boys are so I'd expect nothing less.

Bankers Take Note: Facebook Market Share Surpasses Google

As noted in a recent Socialnomics blog post, Hitwise has documented that Facebook now exceeds Google in weekly market share. Traffic increased 185% from the same time last year versus a 9% increase for Google.

So what, you ask? Well, for those bankers who have chosen to sit on the sideline and avoid the social media, the "Tipping Point"is here. While you depend on the traditional Internet marketing efforts using Google search terms and SEO strategies, your customers (and prospects) are flocking to social media sites like Facebook. It may be time to rethink your strategy. Many of your competitors already have.

If Girl Scouts of America Can Do It .....

As most people know, January through April are the primary selling months for Girl Scout Cookies. Girl Scouts all around the country go door to door selling their cookies, the major fundraiser for theses local groups since 1917. The selling process has remained pretty much the same since it's inception. Until now.

Last night, on the National Public Radio (NPR) program "All Things Considered", there was a story about a troop outside of San Francisco that is using online appeals through various channels, including social media outlets like Facebook. It is fantastic to see these young entrepreneurs using today's technology to market their products, in addition to the more traditional sales approach. There is a lesson to be learned for those of you who aren't sure about the value of social media. These Girl Scouts and their leadership certainly get it.

The Evolution of Social Media

An associate and I were just talking about the evolution of our social media efforts. We've been invited to present in a social media event by the Greater Baltimore Technology Council (GBTC) in January. We are very excited (and honored) to be included in this impressive group of technology professionals.

As we started brainstorming the topic, we decided to focus on the evolution of our social media journey. Rather than talk theory, we are going to review our strategic approach and focus on specific examples from that experience. We think this will be more useful for the audience.

Our first foray into the social media world was when we established a Group page (remember them?) on Facebook.

Our goal was (and still is) to demonstrate our involvement in the community and to "humanize" the brand by including company events as well. As Facebook has evolved, so have we. We've since added a "Fan of" page, been actively updating content, and conducted contests to add followers and have some fun. We now have over 900 fans and continue to grow. Feel free to become one yourself!