Social technologies. A fad or here to stay? If you have heard me prognosticate about online marketing in the 21st century, you know that I regard social media as anything but a passing fancy. Today I was delighted to read some new data from my friends at Forrester who track trends in the field of social technology. Here is some US data to chew on:
- In 2008 social technology participation has grown rapidly. People unaware of social technologies has decreased from 44% to 25% of the online population. I expect this number will continue to drop precipitously in the next decade.
- Those who read, watch, or consume social content have ballooned from 48% to 69%. Moreover, more people are participating is social networking by commenting, collecting and spectating.
- Social media consumption among older people is increasing (watch out Gen Y and Z) and 35-to-44 year-olds as well as 45-to-54 year-olds are joining, reading and interacting with social technologies more than ever before.
From the Forrester blog:
“It will soon be no more remarkable that your grandmother reads a blog than that she reads email. Social content is going mainstream. Social content ranks high on search engines because it changes so frequently and gets linked to more often, so more and more online adults are becoming exposed to it, accepting it, and embracing it. If you’re a marketer, no matter what group of consumers you’re targeting, this means you must pay attention to the social world online.”
Don’t wait until your grandmother emails you about a great blog she read from one of your competitors.
The time to use social technologies is now.
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2 Comments
Terri,
I completely agree with these facts. I have been living in a whole new world since you introduced me to social Tech.
I missed the last class because I forgot the date. Please next time send me a reminder.
Best
Hi Jacqueline,
It has been such a pleasure working with you. I was glad to introduce you to a whole new world! May your non-profit continue to grow exponentially!
Terri