Is Facebook the new Thanksgiving tradition?
Originally broadcast at iMediaConnection
For many US households, alongside all the turkey, stuffing and football will be another social object the entire family shares: Facebook.
This is a crucial turning point in suburban American culture. Even as recently as last year, it could be said that Facebook was “just for the kids” or “not as big as everyone says it is.” Now take a look at Facebook’s registered user year-over-year growth over the past three Thanksgivings (Fortune, Cnet, Comscore):
Busting past 120 million users this month means most everyone gathered around the table will have communicated with each other and their friends using Facebook. As a marketer and family member, take some time to talk with (or even watch how) the people in your family all use social media to connect with the people they care about.
Here are a few thought-starters to help you understand social media, and where a brand can gain impact within social media. Best of all, it may help you understand your own relationships in a different way.
How does their (or your) online persona differ from your relationships in real life?
Our identities in social media platforms are heavily affected by context: your online friend group, your offline friend group, and how you communicate within those parameters on a specific platform like Facebook. Even in simple, overlooked places like the profile pictures they choose, the items they comment on (and the items you’re sure to talk about that they did not comment on).
What do they use to access Facebook?
A desktop? A laptop? On an iPhone? These hardware choices give you some interesting insights into how people are interacting with each other, screen sizes, and technical capabilities. It’s what Facebook looks like to them.
What are the participation dynamics?
Do the people in your family Facebook alone? In groups? Who are the people in these groups? Are they usually in the living room, kitchen, or home office when they log in? I’ve seen a difference in my family in both: Adults usually use Facebook alone sharing pictures and comments. The teens are equally at ease making the experience a group activity and adding video.
Which applications are favorites? Why?
Slide, RockYou, Causes, and Zynga are all brands. SuperPoke, Bumper Sticker, iLike and Bar Fight are products (applications) that help the people in your family create connections. Talk to them about what there is to like in these applications, how they were introduced to them, and what propelled continued usage. This is the most directly applicable lesson for marketers. Applications that help people are the way your brand can gain recognition and trust within a demographic.
Most of all, it’s time to recognise that Facebook and social media are a trend leading to the future of communications.
What do you think? Continue the conversation below, by clicking on the “email” link above, or on Twitter @mleis.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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