Post by Eric Brantner
So, do you still think social media is a fad that we’ll all look back on and laugh at in the future? You can keep thinking that, but you’ll be stuck on the sidelines while social media continues to grow in 2009. In fact, let me give you 11 reasons you won’t be able to ignore social media this year.
1. Everyone is Using it- Okay, so it’s a bit of a stretch to say “everyone” is using social media, but the truth is there are millions of social media users. According to one study, over 60 million Americans have read a blog. Worldwide, that number is closer to 350 million. When my parents send me YouTube links, I know that almost everyone is involved with social media now.
2. Social Media is Gaining Trust- One of the knocks on social media as a source of information used to be that it wasn’t trustworthy. Today, social media is one of the top sources of news and important updates. People are starting to gain trust in it, and as a result, it’s still growing.
3. It’s Still Growing- The bottom line is new people are becoming social media users every day. According to newly released statistics, Facebook is now growing by about 600,000 users each day. Blog reading has grown by over 66% in the last year. In other words, social media is still growing, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
4. Our President Uses it- Soon to be President Obama has gotten the most out of social media. His campaign was highly active on Twitter, and now he uses YouTube to deliver his weekly address. In fact, his communication strategy has recently been dubbed “Obama 2.0.” President Obama has big plans to continue using the web as an important means of communicating with the American public.
5. When One Social Network Falls, Another Rises- Whenever a social network starts to decline in popularity (see MySpace,) detractors are quick to say that social media really is a fad. What they fail to realize is that the demise of one social network doesn’t spell the demise of social media. While MySpace was waning in popularity, sites like Twitter were exploding onto the scene. So, don’t be fooled by the downturn of a single social network. Others are stronger than ever before.
6. It’s Fast- In this increasingly digital society, speed is of the essence. We want the latest information, and we want it now. That’s another reason social media is so popular. Bloggers routinely break the latest stories, and the instant interactivity makes social media a hit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve followed conference coverage on blogs, Twitter, and other sources.
7. Cost Efficient for Companies- With the economy continuing to spiral out of control, companies are looking for new, cost-efficient ways to communicate with their target audience. Social media is fast becoming a priority for many of them. It’s one of the cheapest, fastest, and most effective ways to tap into the consumer pulse. Rest assured, the number of companies using social media will only rise in 2009.
8. It’s Passionate- One of the main reasons social media is knocking newspapers out of business is the passion behind it. With social media, people have leeway to inject their personality into the mix, and things are a bit more informal. As a result, this connects better with readers than stiff, impersonal content. Love them or hate them, social media users are as passionate as they come. Just hang out on Digg for a few minutes reading comments if you don’t believe me.
9. It’s Free- Everyone loves anything that’s free.
10. Social Media is Versatile- The social media landscape is more versatile than ever before. There are social networks for virtually every niche imaginable. Whether you’re looking to talk about video games or to connect with young singles, there are social networks out there for you. This versatility means that everyone has a place in the social media realm.
11. The Internet is Social- At the end of the day, this is the biggest reason you can’t ignore social media in 2009. The Internet is an inherently social medium. That won’t change. People will always want to engage with one another online, and social media will be there in one form or another to accommodate this need.
Are you ready to pay attention to social media in 2009? Which reasons would you add to this list? Tell me about them in the replies!
27 Responses to “11 Reasons You Can’t Ignore Social Media in 2009”
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Great points! Sometimes you have to stop and remember that not “everyone” is using these great tools to help build their brand. It’s important to make people aware of them and then to teach them how not to abuse them, spamming and such!
When One Social Network Falls, Another Rises – So true!
I remember using Hi5 then switching to Facebook then to Twitter. Social Media will always be around. Mobile internet will also make it easier for people to log in and keep in touch on the go.
Spammers will always be around but they don’t last long on social networks.
Great article a must Digg Social Media is a powerful business tool and it works I have seen the results. Some say success is hard to monitor in Social Media however this is not the case
This article is a great tool to help clients understand why they need social media marketing.
[...] Bratner, of Digital Labz, wrote a post about why you can’t ignore social media in 2009. If you currently are not doing any form of social media or networking, you are simply [...]
Each and every internet users are using atleast any one social networking website. Some peoples using sites like twitter, facebook and some peoples are using stumbleupon, digg. All concepts are same.
a good set of points here, there are still those who argue that social media for business should be restricted to delivering “the message” but as you point out, spammers are quickly marginalised by active social network participants.
I think any business who thinks social marketing is a fad is just in a stat of denial. Businesses who refuse to evolve with the times will become extinct.
I think a lot of times when just starting to dive into social media, it can be intimidating for people. But it’s pretty clear that social media is where our industry is going and will stay for quite some time. Just think where we will be in ten years.
A hearty AMEN to #5: When One Social Network Falls, Another Rises
Social media is yet another way we humans have devised to connect and communicate. The need to connect is innate. Those who try to “frame” social media as a “fad” are missing the point. Social media is no more a “fad” than drawing on cave walls was.
As long as we’re human – we’ll want to communicate. That’s why when one social network falls, another rises to take it’s place.
If Twitter crashes and burns – another blog/IM combo app will rise in it’s place – because we LIKE being connected and communicating instantly.
Eric,
Great post! I work for a PR agency and we’re trying to get our clients to understand the value of social media and that it’s not just something they can opt out of. People are talking about companies — and those companies put their reputations at risk by ignoring the dicussion. Hopefully, 2009 will be the year businesses stop being fearful of giving up control … and the year that they really understand the value of engaging with their consumers.
Heather (@prTini)
Social media gives the potential for sites to grow exponentially every day. We cannot deny that using social media is both fun and engaging. And of course, we need to use it the appropriate way.
Wei Liang
I like the points about passion and sociability. They are the reasons that have me on social media – the ability to personalize the message as well as the messenger and to get to “know” other people through their posts and serve them rather than spam them.
12. Connecting geographically on a small level- Unlike the big social platforms where your one in a million, there is a big rise in small geographical social platforms opening a real opportunity to network in a more concentrated and focused environments, around the world. While at the same time getting more cultural content, and more local content than ever before.
Not to devalue Facebooks geographical networking features, but there is something to be said in smaller groups.
Thanks for this post, there are a lot of newbies arriving every day, and blogs like this, make it easier for all of us understand social media better.
One thing i am starting to notice more and more with social media just how fast it works. Even when you have very very small networks of just a couple of users, the way that sites like twitter work, allows for endless possibilities.
Really enjoyed the article! Would love to pass it to a couple of colleagues easily. Any chance you’d like to add the ShareThis widget to your blog? It makes connecting so easy.
(I’m a user of ShareThis, have no other affiliation with them.)
Looking forward to many more interesting posts!
I didn’t see a twitter link… if you’re using twitter, would you want us to know?
Cheers!
Great article! It is a must read for those companies that have not yet embraced social media and lets them know why they should embrace it.
I disagree, it’s washed-out already. 2008 every PR/marketing goon on the planet spewed “social media” ad nauseam.
2009 we should get back to calling it the Web, instead of: the Internet, cyberspace, social media, etc.
“over 60 million Americans have read a blog”
In other words, they visited a web-site, just about everyone is using a CMS/blog to publish now.
I am not a U.S. citizen, but I feel that he is my president.
I agree with ‘Ferodynamics’. It does seem to me that it’s almost Politically Correct to continually regurgitate rhetoric on social media, blogs – just what we’re doing now.
I like your article – I am going to link to it in an email to about 10 participants in a networking meeting today – hope you don’t mind!
Many people in todays age need open their eyes to social media. Its a great way to market and reach out to new clients or customers and its absolutely free. I love it.
If you would like my two cents on how you can get started marketing especially if you are a freelancer please check out my blog by clicking the following link:Effective Marketing Strategy How to get new clients when starting freelacing.
Thanks
Jonny T Jonny T Designs
yes.. it great opion that social media is very important in onine business
I have tried every social media sites out there but I settled with Twitter and Facebook because they are much easier for me to maintain. well, I guess the key to this is actually enjoying what you do and not do it for branding and marketing purposes alone.
I can’t believe that somebody of US people really can believe in this propaganda sayings “Everybody watches, president watches, all democratic countries watch it ” and so on.
The truth is that we are all different people with different interests and nobody but us will fight for things we wanna to have – no judges, no congress, no president, and especially no police, FBI, CIA. The truth is only that there are really two groups of people – that can use privileges of arressts, telling from the point view of whole nation, media broadcasting and people that cannot.
I do not expect tat you believe me I wanna more people just go and go for a walk on streets of own city and look what happens and believe only own eyes.
[...] 11 Reasons You Can’t Ignore Social Media in 2009 [...]
Thanks for this list. I’m trying to get to grips with the Social Media at the moment. So my mind is like a sponge for good articles like this.
Cheers
Goon (soon to be well read Goon)