What Do You Think, The World Started When You Were Born?!
I’m Lucky. I’m Old. At least that’s what my 6 year old told me recently. I’m 41, so I am lucky enough to have grown up in a world without the internet which helps me appreciate it. It also helps me factor in how technology is perceived differently among different generations. I read a blog post recently that got me thinking a lot about this.
Most of us view the way technology has forever changed the way we communicate as a big advancement and a good thing. Many would argue though, that it has promoted isolation and gives a false sense of community where people stay alone, communicating through tools instead of directly with one another. Think about it. How many of the people you connect with on a given day do you actually see face to face? I’ll bet it’s less than 10%. For some with huge followings on Twitter and Facebook, it’s less than 1%.
So what does this mean?
If you are marketing your business or selling anything, it means a lot. If you are in your twenties and are just entering the workforce you never knew the world before the internet or cellphones and text messaging. You are probably very comfortable sharing the minutia of your personal life with people you have never met via Twitter and Facebook. I know this is a generalization, but follow me here. It’s important, because it impacts your perspective, your point of reference.
If you are older it matters too. Maybe even more. You may be charged with managing younger workers and at the very least you will be getting pitched ideas and opportunities from twenty-somethings. There is a big difference between being aware that there was a world before, and having lived in it. I know that my grandmother grew up in a world before television, but I have no personal reference about what that experience felt like. How she learned, received news, was entertained, was so much different than my experience.
Feelings and emotions are everything with sales and marketing. We make decisions based on emotions not facts. The single most important factor in marketing is making an emotional connection to your target audience. Don’t you agree? If you are not a member of your target audience you need to keep these differences in mind.
Awareness makes us better
If marketing or sales is on your radar, you know that companies are using social media websites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to promote their brands, and in some cases carry entire marketing and sales campaigns. It is very tempting to jump on to these sites because the cost is so low and the payoff can be so big. But before you consider this for your business or consider pitching this path to your next prospect, make sure to factor in your audience’s point of view.
Be sure you have some specific goals and specific reasons for doing it. Setting up a Facebook fan page for your business because “everyone is doing it” is probably not going to do much for you. Your specific reason may be broad like, “Connecting with my customers and prospects on a more personal level,” or “maintaining a listening station so I am aware what people are saying about my business.” Do some thinking before hand, though.
Are you a forty-something pitching a twenty-something? The inverse? Are your prospects Millennials or Baby Boomers? Don’t count out social media for older folks either. More and more seniors are wading into Facebook, etc., because it is the best and sometimes only way to keep up with the grand kids. I predict you are going to see this demographic exploding onto the social scene. Don’t just assume because they are there, they “get it.”
We all need to keep generational differences in mind when we are crafting our message and communicating. In the end, it’s really about creating and enriching relationships, right? We want to get the most from our relationships with our friends, employees, bosses, prospects, right?
Great post; I too am considered old (37), especially by my 22 yr old employee who scoffed at the fact that I play XBOX.
The strangest generational issue I face is with the millenials who don't 'get' social media. It truly blows my mind. I work with @ 10 account managers and 6 customer service reps in their early to mid-twenties who are afraid of twitter. They don't see the value.
Hi Mark,
That is strange indeed. Sometimes I guess it takes an old (wise) dog to teach the young dogs some new tricks.
Thanks for your comment!
Mark,
Strange indeed. Sometimes I guess it takes an old dog to teach the
young dogs a few new tricks.
This is a great post. Thank you for sharing. What I need to do it reverse your blog headline though. How to start and grow my family while finding time for my business. Do you think that's possible?
Hi Katie,
I not only know it's possible, I think that's a much better way of looking at things.
Thanks for setting me straight ;)
Katie,
it's not only possible, it's a better way of looking at it.
Thanks for setting me straight ;)
I just turned 25, work in Internet Marketing and spend most of my day up to my eyes in Google Analtyics, Facebook & Twitter marketing and the best SEO options for my clients. 25 years ago, my profession didn't exist. I remember the day we got dial-up at home and our world changed forever. Before long we had a second phone line and fights over who could use the computer when. Now, I am sitting on my laptop, set nicely beside my desktop – each computer doing what it does best.
Technology is every changing. When I first heard those dialup tones, never did I think the concept of an iPod touch could exist.
Let's see what the next five years bring!
It is incredible how quickly the way we communicate and consume information has changed and I have similar memories about dial-up. I can still hear that voice,”You've Got Mail!”
Thanks for stopping by.
I just turned 25, work in Internet Marketing and spend most of my day up to my eyes in Google Analtyics, Facebook & Twitter marketing and the best SEO options for my clients. 25 years ago, my profession didn't exist. I remember the day we got dial-up at home and our world changed forever. Before long we had a second phone line and fights over who could use the computer when. Now, I am sitting on my laptop, set nicely beside my desktop – each computer doing what it does best.
Technology is every changing. When I first heard those dialup tones, never did I think the concept of an iPod touch could exist.
Let's see what the next five years bring!
It is incredible how quickly the way we communicate and consume information has changed and I have similar memories about dial-up. I can still hear that voice,”You've Got Mail!”
Thanks for stopping by.