Social Media and other new technology challenges

How Event Planners can overcome the

growing generation gap

Introduction

I. Statistics, usage rates, growth

a. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

b. Public vs. Private Networks

c. Blogging – downward trends

II. Trends

a. Rise in Mobile Technology

b. Social Media Policies

c. Growth of Private Networks

III. Action Items

a. How to Engage Younger Audiences

V. The Future

VI. Social Media Quiz

VII. Questions / Contact information

Social Media Today

A monumental shift in how we communicate – faster than ever

Years to Reach 50 million Users: Radio (38 Yrs), TV (13 Yrs), Internet (4 Yrs), iPod (3 Yrs) Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months…iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months (22% of those are under 18) 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum As of 2010 ,Gen Y members (b.~1982-1995) now outnumber Baby Boomers….96% of them have

joined a social network Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé…In 2009 Boston College stopped distributing e-mail

addresses to incoming freshmen

Users of Social Media - Demographics by Age

A full 25% of the users on the most popular sites are aged 35 to 44, the age group that

dominates the social media sphere. Only 3% are aged 65 or older.

What it means: Social media isn’t dominated by the youngest, often most tech-savvy

generations - YET, but rather by what has to be referred to as middle-aged people (although

at the younger end of that spectrum).

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

LinkedIn usage will be on an upswing as younger adults enter the workforceLinkedIn’s primary users are in the 35-44 age group 64% of Twitter’s users are aged 35 or older. Used primarily in the business

environment to promote / market services and company news.Teens ages 12-17 do not use Twitter in large numbers – just 8% say they ever

use Twitter and when they do it’s often to follow celebrities, athletes, etc.Facebook is immensely popular in the 13-25 demographic: 55% of all users

Public vs. Private Networks

Public sites (Facebook, Twitter) are typically free and open to anyone - requiring only a login and password to join. Features include:

Fewer restrictions than private networks

Public Access

Cost-effective resource to promote & market your organization and

events

Private sites (alumni reunions, social clubs) offer more customization, privacy and ‘members- only’ access to:

Provide members / customers with a powerful, team-building experience

Manage confidential, internal issues and encourage feedback

What it means: As most young adults are already participating in Public networks, look for Private networks to grow as users look for a particular niche.

Blogging

A blog (web log) is a way to create content – with the help of keywords - that will help generate links to your website.

Blogging seems to have lost it’s luster among teens and young adultsSurveys of teens and young adults reveal a decline in blogging and

a modest rise among adults 30 and older In 2006, 28% of teens ages 12-17 and young adults ages 18-29 were

bloggers, but by 2010 the numbers had dropped to 14% of teens and 15% of young adults What it means:The growth of Facebook - which lacks a specific tool for blogging within the network - may have contributed to the decline.Meanwhile, wireless connectivity continued to grow in the teen / young adult demographic

Trends to Watch in 2010

Companies will develop – and enforce – social media policies - Organizations will assign a small, select number to ‘own’ and monitor social media content.

Private networks will grow – to help remove social ‘clutter”- Currently a mind-numbing array of options

Mobile technology will continue to grow - As of Jan. 2010, more than 65m Facebook users access the site through mobile devices. In 6 months, this is over 100% increase.

Social Media Trends to Watch in 2010

Demographics continue to skew younger - Expected growth among teens and tweensText messaging continues to grow in popularity, driven by teens 13 to 17, who on average send and receive about 1,812 text messages a month Social Games: Increase in interaction / playing off our competitive nature (Farmville / Mafia wars)

Action Items

Engage younger audiences by:

Immersing yourself in the conversation, encouraging interaction Monitoring trends – what technology / app is growing, what is notRelinquishing control – it’s not about your message. One-way messages are not conversationsEmbracing social media in all it’s forms – they’re here to stay. In other words: The train is leaving the station with or without you – so get on

The Future What we know

- There’s a huge demographic that has grown up with mobile technology

- Old, familiar forms of communication may become extinct – if they haven’t already

- Change is constant – and something newer, better, faster has yet to be invented

What we don’t know

- What seems popular and cutting edge may not be (MySpace, Friendster, etc)

- How will middle-aged, older audiences adapt?

- We don’t know what we don’t know (i.e. what’s next)

Remember, tomorrow’s consumers are today’s ‘digital natives’

Social Media Quiz:

1. After Google, the #2 largest search engine in the world is: a) YouTube b) Yahoo c) Bing

ANSWER: a

2. How many characters are allowed in a Tweet? a) 55 b) 140 c)320

ANSWER: b

3) In the spring of 2005, one popular search engine followed 9 million blogs. It now tracks: a) 12m b) 56m c) 112m

ANSWER: c

4) When starting your blog, what is the most important feature to consider? a) Grammar b) Having something to say c) Populating the page with keywords

ANSWER: b

5) Approximately how many new blogs pop up each day?a) 12,000 b) 120,000 c) 420,000

ANSWER: b

6) Social media is mainly about: a) Wasting time b) Promoting your services c) SEO

ANSWER: c

Concerns?

If there is a downside, it’s the time and research involved to make intelligent decisions

Beware of information overload. Provide basic, need-to-know information about your event, organization, etc. And remember: It’s a two-way discussion

Continue doing what has worked well for you and do not completely abandon press releases, direct mail and collateral in your marketing strategy

REMEMBER: What happens in Vegas stays on YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, etc.