Senior Citizens and Social Media

It’s easy to assume social medias are the domain of the young and frenetic. To assume the “silver surfer” or the silver haired 55+ dem0graphic is rather technologically disconnected. That assumption would be wrong. Marketers would do well to take a second look at this market and it is growing. In Atlantic Canada and northeastern USA, the average age of a Facebook user is 53. In England we see a similar trend, though it is somewhat lower at 46.

How do figure that the Silver Surfer is more active than we might have assumed? As the Internet grew in popularity, it was first most popularly adopted by people in their 40′s, back in the mid-1990′s. Computers were triple or more the cost of what they are today and those that could afford them for the household, and the cost of Internet connectivity (dial-up no less!) were in the higher middle income brackets, professional and well educated. Now, 15 years on, they are into their 50′s and 60′s and they are active.

Reason for Engagement
The pie chart below indicates the reason Silver Surfers engage in social media. Friends and family come first; no surprise there. This is followed by hobbies (golf, knitting, sailing etc.) but shopping and banking comes in last. Silver Surfers are still untrusting of online financial transactions. We also found that this demographic is among the most vocal in local newsmedia websites for commentary.

Channels Used
Here we have a graph of the channels used by various age groups. As we can see, Silver Surfers prefer to Forums and photo sharing. They may watch video but are unlikely to create and share videos through channels like YouTube or Vimeo. For social networks in Western nations they prefer Facebook for its ease of use (all things considered) and because it is more likely that’s where family and friends are. This research was conducted prior to Google+ launch.

Conclusions
Silver Surfers or Senior Citizens (classed by us as 55+ in this instance) are active in social media. They love to comment on news sites and as expected have strong opinions. For the most part, they prefer simple tools that fit in largely with services they are already familiar with. They quickly develop habits of use with preferred tools and are unlikely to change their preferences once established. New tools that take some exploration or anywhere near complex will not be easily adopted. They are “late adopters” of any technology and service online.

This is an active social media demographic. Marketers have an opportunity to engage in these channels and push products and services. We do note they are not likely to plonk down a credit card number into an online purchasing system unless they truly establish a trust connection.

Methodology
We collected and aggregated data from 2,500 profiles in Atlantic Canada and New England states and 1,200 profiles from England for a sample size. All data collected was publicly available. We did not access individual and/or private information. Over 1.5 million text files were analyzed using our Artificial Intelligence Engine and crawler, mediasphere360. Human verification of data was applied. The data was collected from June 2010 to December 21st, 2010.

How Online Behaviour Impacts Real World Behaviour

It’s probably one of the biggest questions of business and governments; just exactly how does what people do “online” in Cyburbia, translate to actions in the real world? The evidence is overwhelming that it does. The challenge is that it’s changing our real-world life so much and in so many complex ways, that it can be a challenge to wrap ones head around it.

Online communities, Cyburbia, social medias or Web 2.0 – whatever you want to call these new channels of communication, are first and foremost the domain of “ideas”. It is from ideas that we develop plans and strategies that translate into actions. Through our past, current and ongoing research projects and from what many a pundit has written, we’ve broken down online activities into 4 key functions of how we use these new, hyper-connected tools to translate to real-world activities;

1. Ideas: We have ideas all the time. A new way to do something online or in the real-world. An idea about new laws, buildings, saving energy…anything and everything we do has human beings comes from an idea first.

2. Organizing: When an idea takes hold and we (and perhaps others) decide to take actions by translating that idea into reality, we have to organize. That could be meetings, protests, writing, creating a website or opening a restaurant. This all requires a number of steps and processes – this is organizing. There are a number of tools for organizing online; for one person to thousands of people. The key is that these new digital tools allow people to organize as groups quickly, anywhere in the world, at any time across multiple devices.

3. Collaboration: While your organizing the idea into actions, you’ll likely connect with others. Humans must work together as groups to make big things happen – like building a shopping centre. This is collaboration. Just as with organizing (and often they are integrated) these new tools enable a group to shape an idea, expand on it, refine it.

4. Communication: Once you’ve shaped your idea, you then communicate it to many or a few people. Once you’re team or group has formed, collaborated and organized, you then communicate again to drive awareness and action. You will likely create all kinds of communications content to get action (video, images, brochures, documents, blog posts, tweets etc.) Just as online tools enable collaboration, development of ideas (writing and research) and organizing, they facilitate communications that are faster, almost no cost and easier than ever before.

It is these 4 elements that combine to result in the actions that change our world; whether that be political or business. If you’re seeking to understand the translation of online activities into real-world actions, apply these elements to any groups and you’ll have a framework to understand how these interested parties are behaving and what may happen in your area of interest.

Perhaps you have some thoughts on this? Anything to add? Let us know.

Dialog or Conflict: Social Media and the Next Century

No one argues much today that the invention of the printing press was a wonderful thing for humanity. We could suddenly share ideas which turned into better human rights, forms of democracy and a more civil society. Eventually. Then along came the telephone and radio. A new revolution. What followed was one of the bloodiest centuries globally. Today, conflict is declining all over the world…although somedays that may seem a bit unreal.

Use of the Internet and other “Liberation Technologies” such as social media, mobile phones and such, have aided the tranisition of ideas and opinions into political action. Both positive and negative. The Orange Revolution of the Ukraine used SMS messaging via mobiles to organize. Two years later Belarus shut down the mobile networks to prevent such a revolution. The intense protests of the Iranian elections in 2009, although democracy seems to have failed so far.

The online newspaper Malaysiakini has arguably lead to increased democracy and improved human rights in Malaysia. Certainly it has tread where no other traditional newspaper can in Malaysia. China recently battled with Google and in ways, subtly continues to do so. Reports out of Pakistan indicate that Taliban leadership has “gone quiet” in Social Media channels and are resorting to human transfer of messages; although a recent Twitter battle between the State Department & a Taliban spokesperson suggests otherwise.

Personally, I rather hope that these “Liberation Technologies” such as social media tools and the devices that enable their operation, lead to greater democracy worldwide. In fragile nations however, we are increasingly seeing a fragmentation between Elites and the lower classes. Yet both are using social media services. Then we bring in the diaspora and their interconnections between the “home country” and their new “host country” and influence over foreign policies of the host country.

These interactions mean more information reaching the hands of the citizens, being shaped by citizens and communicated into the larger populace, even where Internet access is limited. That foments ideas and then change. Such change in fragile nations is rarely conducted (successful or not) without conflict. Anecdotal y, I suspect we may see less chance of global conflict than before, but an increase in more localized or regional conflict in fragile nations. It is not only Elites that are accessing these Liberation Technologies, but the common citizen. And some governments are becoming clever at using these tools to counter those who want democracy.

International relations have always been complex. With social technologies, they are going to become ever more complex. The relationship between governments, civil society, industry and global organizations is changing. Social technologies and the Internet is about human ideas, it is where ideas get developed and evolve. Now ideas and ideologies can evolve faster. Groups can form, disband and fracture faster and easier than ever before. Our research suggests the views and predictions of thinkers like George Friedman have not accounted for these Liberation Technologies – that may be their Black Swan to what does end up happening.

There is no easy answer and no clear path to the future or to what will or won’t happen. The only sure thing; social medias will result in fundamental shifts in international relations. Lets hope that dialogue reins and the values of democracy prosper.

Unions And The Double Edged Sword of Social Media

Through our research, we’ve come to find that unions are becoming increasingly active and very skilled in using social media. That’s a natural; unions are extremely good at organizing, coordinating and communicating. Three of the essential elements of social technologies. Our research shows that of the major unions, the most active and aggressive with social media is the IBEW (electricians) in the U.S. and Canada, followed by the United Auto Workers (UAW). Unions in the U.S. are more active online than Canadian or British unions, but these countries are catching up to America. Essentially, social medias were born in the USA, so that makes sense.

But there is a downside. What we’re seeing start to happen is like the disconnect in a corporation between management and employees. This disconnect is showing in unions between members and leadership. Some, it would seem, are more equal than others on the farm. The latest example is in Canada between the union representing the Air Canada flight attendants and the union leadership negotiating for them.

In a non-union corporation, employees are less “organized” in the sense a union is, so while there may be disconnect and disagreement, one rarely will see coordinated anti-management activity in social media channels. In the case of Air Canada flight attendants, they have formed their own Facebook group to gripe against union leadership. It has nearly 4,000 members out of the just over 6,000 flight attendants working for Air Canada. That is a significant statistical representation. One a leadership can’t ignore. The Air Canada pilots are in a similar group venting on issues of union management on their behalf.

While social medias can play a vital and positive role for unions to communicate their message and coordinate activities, we can see that the very same tools can be used against them. Union members implicitly understand the concept of solidarity and know how to rally in a cause. It will be a harder challenge for unions to manage this kind of social media crisis than a company dealing with some angry customers. In the case of a consumer driven social media crisis, it is about fair treatment over a wrongdoing or mistreatment. The situation also fades away fairly quickly. When it comes to unions with leadership versus members, it is about ideologies – and this is where people get passionate. This is a far more significant challenge for union leadership than a consumer issue. To the credit of the CUPE negotiators in the Air Canada flight attendant issue, they acknowledge and understand their members voice and their role as elected leaders; but realize the challenge this creates at the negotiating table.

Aside from the ideological issues, the public, government and corporate management can see a fractured organization when and if such ideologies start to clash. And that presents opportunities to those they’re negotiating with. A united front (or at least the appearance of one) is key in any type of negotiation. With news media reporting a rift in the ranks, this adds considerably more work for the representative union. One that they may not be able to contain offline.

It is an interesting paradox for unions that the very tools which fit so well with their way of operating, can cause such a challenge. From our seat on the fence, we see yet another area where social medias are impacting traditional sectors in public and private life. The one key benefit for unions over government or corporations however, is their ability to coordinate and they are generally more “in touch” with their constituencies. Exactly how these social technologies may change union culture or the concept of unions is yet to be seen. Just as with politics and business, we are still in the opening days of understanding how social media may cause significant changes.

(Photo Credit: University of Wisconsin, Madison Libraries)

What Marketers Are Missing in Social Media Analysis

Never before in the history of marketing have marketers had their toes held so close to the fire of profits by senior management. While the C-Suite may not entirely “get” social media or internet marketing, they do know that it affords the ability to collect a lot more “data” than ever before. While that’s true, the challenge is turning that data into information and that information into intelligence – it’s “intelligence” within information that we use to make decisions. But hang on…in this mad drive by marketers to validate dwindling and increasingly fractured budgets, are they missing some of the key intelligence from social media? Perhaps they’re missing the real point of engagement.

Sure, there’ve been some successful social media marketing campaigns. Note the word “campaign” here. And this is the marketing problem with social media. Marketers (driven largely by agencies) STILL see social media engagement as campaign based rather than long term. Through our extensive research, we also see that the only “long-term” engagement by most companies is customer service. And even that is a half-hearted gesture most of the time.

Values Marketers Are Missing in Social Media Analysis
Here we list a few of the valuable metrics and intelligence marketers could be pulling out of social media for their companies. While they may not seem to immediately impact the bottom-line, they can actually help in corporate strategy and long-term survival as well as new opportunities for revenues.

1. Product Feedback: Consumers leave some incredibly valuable insights into features, uses and problems with products. This information can be shared with product management and R&D teams. Try to get that information out of an online survey or focus group – just isn’t going to happen.

2. New Verticals: Some deep research and analysis may (and often has in our research) point out new vertical market opportunities that may have taken years to uncover, if at all.

3. Competitor Woes: Similarly, you can gain vital indicators of problems and challenges your competitors are having. These can be exploited through effective campaigns.

4. Seasonal Trends: Just looking at sales data doesn’t always indicate a seasonal trend. That data may show something post-event, but social media analysis can identify seasonal shifts as they’re happening or ahead of time…so maybe instead of launching your campaign in May, you start in April and get out ahead of competitors.

5. Cooperative & Partnering Opportunities: By cross-referencing your company’s products or services against a semi-competitor or complimentary business, you may find unique co-marketing opportunities. Ones that would’ve otherwise gone missing.

6. Looming Disasters: Social media channels can be your canary in a coal mine. Shifts in consumer attitudes and behaviours can indicate potential problems with your product or market. Be nice to head off a disaster and adapt ahead rather than sit in the ruins of bankruptcy in a bar.

7. Problem Areas: Sales dropping in Topeka? Spiking in Halifax? Why? You can call the sales office in the affected region if you like…you’ll get the usual ass-saving remarks, but likely not the truth. Turn to social media and you may find some answers.

These are seven of well, quite a few valuable metrics we’ve uncovered in our various research projects. Perhaps you can think of a few yourselves.