Here is this week’s summary for the Facebook Page: Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation

+8 Fans this week (188 total Fans)

6 Wall Posts, Comments, and Likes this week (5 last week)

130 Visits to your page this week (101 Visits last week)

It gave similar stats for the fan pages for SleepBetter, EndGame PR, FightSMA, and all of the others I administer or co-administer.

I get a LOT of junk emails from social networking sites.  It’s nice to get one that, while unsolicited, is extremely useful to me!

The article, Baby Boomers and Seniors Are Flocking to Facebook, has some great stats about the growth of the number of Americans 44+ on Facebook.

According to Deloitte data, 2009 was the year that social media bloomed for Baby Boomers, with nearly 47% of them actively maintaining a profile on the social web, which is up 15% from 2008. Further driving home that 2009 was the year of the social BB is the fact that from 2007 to 2008 there was barely a measurable change — just 1% — in that demographic’s adoption of social media.

For another quirky finding, take a look at the percentage of “Matures” — individuals between the ages of 63 and 75 — who use Twitter regularly. Seventeen percent is actually quite high when you compare it with the percentages of the other demographic groups. Also of note is that nearly all the Senior social media users (90%) have picked up Facebook as a new hobby.

Fact is, Facebook is actually BETTER for people who are older than those who are 21 or 22-years-old.  Why?  Let’s take a look…

• Facebook is fantastic for sharing pictures of kids and grandkids.  What do people love to do more than show off pictures of kids and grandkids?  I say “not much”.  People 44+ are more likely to have kids and grandkids than 20-somethings.  The 21 and 22-year-olds only have pictures of parties to show off, and sometimes it’s best to keep those to yourself until you’re 44.
• People who are 44+ have had plenty of time to get over grudges with people from high school, and are interested in reconnecting.  In fact, by that age they’re probably interested in connecting with anyone from their hometown, particularly if they don’t live there anymore.  The 21 and 22-year-olds still have fresh wounds and grudges are are still very much active.
• People who are 44+ simply have more time on their hands.  If you’re 21 or 22, you’re still going out at night, perhaps dating or hanging out with friends.  Most people who are older than 44 are pretty much done with that.
• There are more adults in the U.S. who are older than 44+ than any other age group.  And, that age group has more of the wealth.  What they want … they take.

I’m not quite to the 44+ age group, but I can see it from where I am.  I us “old folks” should just declare that we own Facebook.  Those kids can keep texting.  We don’t want it.

This isn’t a complete textbook on Twitter, nor was it meant to be.  It’s merely some information to get you started.  Whether you’re just learning, or you’re a social networking pro, please be sure to follow me on Twitter, at @stevemullen!

A Primer on Twitter

While Twitter and Facebook have some similarities in what they’re used FOR (at least when it comes to business), the atmosphere at each is very different.  Using Facebook privacy settings, you can control who sees your posts.  On Twitter, everything is out in the open for all to see.  Additionally, there’s the 140-character limit to deal with on Twitter, which means posts are usually limited to a sentence or two and a link.

There is really only one type of Twitter account.  When you sign up, you have the ability to post a short bio about yourself and a link to a web site.  People tend to make the mistake of not filling these out.  They’re missing an opportunity to promote themselves that no one will begrudge them.  Advertising yourself in Twitter posts on a regular basis is generally a no-no, so plug away in the bio!

When you follow someone on Twitter, their updates show up in your “stream”, which is the list of your posts seen on the Twitter site when you click on “profile” at the top of the page.  When someone follows you, your posts show up in their stream.  There is NO obligation to follow someone back if they’re following you, but the fact that you don’t follow them back doesn’t stop them from being allowed to follow YOU.

There IS a way to protect your Twitter posts so that they’re not seen by everyone, but I don’t recommend using it unless you’re a minor (in which case you really shouldn’t be on Twitter anyhow).  The way it works is that new followers have to request to follow you, and you have the opportunity to approve or deny them.  I don’t understand why you’d want to do this on Twitter, and I never ask permission to follow anyone.  It seems very anti-Twitter.  If someone is particularly bothersome, you can unfollow them, and they probably won’t bother you.  If they’re REALLY bothersome, you can “block” them, and they won’t be able to see any of your posts or message you in any way.  If someone gets blocked by enough people, their account will be deleted from Twitter.

When considering Twitter, think of it as a giant all-inclusive networking meeting.  People are having all kinds of conversations, ranging from sports, to business, to industry news, to simple goofing off.  Whatever you want to talk about can surely be found on Twitter.  Joining in is simple.  On the Twitter website, hover your mouse pointer over the post you want to respond to, and then click on “reply”.  This will populate the form at the top of the page with @username.  Then, just type your message in 140 characters or less.  Putting an @ symbol in front of someone’s name on Twitter indicates that you’re talking to them.

Twitter has developed its own terms … some would say its own language.  Here is some Twitter terminology:

• Tweet: One post on Twitter.  If you say, “I just tweeted that”, you’re saying “I just posted on Twitter about that.”
• Retweet: Copying a tweet from someone else, and posting it on your account.  This has the affect of alerting your followers about the post.  It’s a way of rewarding a person who tweets something useful, witty, or simply interesting.  To retweet something, type “RT”, then the original poster’s username with an “@” in front of it (i.e. @sleep_better), and then their original post.
• Tweeps or Tweeple: Your friends on Twitter.
• Hashtag: A way of categorizing posts on Twitter.  To utilize hashtags, simply put the “#” symbol in front of a word. For instance, in every post I write about my area, Richmond, Virginia, I include the hashtag #rva.  Anyone who knows this hashtag will then be able to easily search for posts about Richmond.

Finding followers in Twitter is different than Facebook, mainly due to the lack of stranger anxiety and the fact that everyone can see your posts.  The first thing I always recommend to people is to write a handful posts.  When you start following people, they’ll check out your posts.  If there aren’t any, then they won’t be likely to follow back.  Also, if you write about your favorite topics, this alone is likely to gain you a few followers.  People out there have searches set up to automatically follow people who talk about certain subjects.  You’ll be amazed how one post on something like real estate can lead to a bunch of real estate agents following you.

The next thing to do after writing a few posts is to have Twitter search your email address book, just like Facebook does.  Then, do some searches for people in your area.  Try to figure out if your area has an established hashtag, and do some searches for that word.  You can also do some simple keyword searches (with or without the hashtag) that indicate your interests.  If you like golf … search for “golf”.  You’ll find golf enthusiasts, people giving information on how to play better, as well as some golf courses.

A note about spam: You will find significantly more on Twitter than on Facebook.  This is largely due to Twitter being more open than Facebook.  Remember that you’re under no obligation to follow someone back if they follow you.  If it smells like spam and looks like spam … then it probably is.  Either that, or it’s a legitimate business person who has no idea that he or she shouldn’t post a mess of advertisements on Twitter.

After doing some hunting and following people in your area … keep posting.  Followers will find you … I promise.

This isn’t a complete textbook on Facebook, nor was it meant to be.  It’s merely some information to get you started.  While you’re learning, please be sure to become a fan of EndGame PR on Facebook!

When you’re done reading this post be sure to read the sequel, A Facebook and Twitter Primer, Part 2!

A Primer on Facebook

The general idea of social media, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, on a blog, or somewhere else, is to provide something of value that people want to consume — whether it’s an article, blog post, video, audio, or something else.  Before launching a social media presence, think about what you’re going to do with it.  That may tell you which site is best suited for you, or that none of them are.

There are a few different types of Facebook presences:

• The first type is the simple individual account. This is what you get when you sign up for the first time.  It’s primarily good for networking with people you know, and keeping in touch with old friends by becoming their Facebook “friend”. People generally don’t like to network with strangers on Facebook because one of the primary activities on Facebook is posting pictures of your kids, grandkids, house, car, vacations, etc. When you become a “friend” of someone, unless they’ve tinkered with their privacy settings, you can see all of their pictures and news about kids, grandkids, vacations, etc. People get nervous about showing these things to people they don’t know. I call this “Facebook Stranger Anxiety”. The other two types of Facebook presences (charted below) solve this stranger anxiety problem, but you MUST have an individual account to create either of the other two.
• The second type of presence on Facebook is a Facebook Fan Page. While it looks like an individual account, it allows people to network with a company or cause without the administrator/owner of the page having to reveal pictures of his kids, grandkids, etc. to complete strangers. People who have elected to become “Fans” receive all news updates that posted on the page.
• The third type of Facebook presence is a Facebook Group. For a variety of reasons, this is great for private organizations, but not great for publicizing a business.

Finding “friends” for an individual account on Facebook is relatively simple. With 350 million registered users, surely you know SOMEONE on the site! When you sign up, you can have Facebook hunt through your email address book and look for people you email who are already on the service. Additionally, you can search on Facebook for your high school, college, organization, or anything else, and surely find people you know. Once you’ve made a few friends, look at who they’ve “friended”. Chances are, you have a mutual friend.

When I launch a Fan Page (whether for myself or a client) the first thing I do after I’m finished is invite all of the “friends” from my individual account. The idea behind this is to start seeding the page. People who are friends of these friends may then learn about the Fan Page, and join as well.

What you post on Facebook depends upon what type of presence you’re talking about. On an individual account, if you’re not using it for business purposes, you can post anything you like. On a Fan Page, it’s best to stick to the topic. It’s NOT a place to advertise on a frequent basis.  That sort of thing will cause you to lose fans quickly.

The important thing to remember about Facebook is that it’s meant to be a community, while Twitter and LinkedIn more closely resemble networking events.  If you go to Facebook expecting that if you shout the loudest, more people will hear, you’ll soon learn that you’re using the wrong strategy.

The first thing you’ll notice (click the image for a larger view) is that the look and layout are now much more in line with Fan Pages and individual profiles.  One obvious unique addition is organization information in the left sidebar, above information about group members.

So, the first question I asked myself after hearing of this redesign is, “Are groups now better than Fan Pages for businesses?”  For the answer, lets look at the pros and cons of each…

Groups have always had one huge benefit over pages: You can send a message through Facebook to every member of the group at once.  You’ve never been able to do this with a Fan Page.  If you are using Facebook to promote a business or other organization, it’s a great way to contact people and perhaps offer a coupon or other special benefit to members of your group.  It can help you create something along the lines of a “special customers” club.

The benefit that Fan Pages have had over groups is that when you post something on your Fan Page, it shows up in your fans’ news feed.  This is great for promoting your company, as the posts show up in the feed alongside status updates, pictures, and videos posted by friends of your fans.  This obviously makes your news more likely to be seen.   The problem with groups has been the lack of this feature, which made your news invisible to anyone who didn’t actually visit the group page.  This has changed somewhat with the new group redesign, as Facebook has introduced a somewhat neutered version of this feature.  Facebook explained how it works in their blog on Monday…

To ensure that you get the most interesting and relevant content from groups you’ve joined, you only will see stories [in your news feed] when one of your friends posts within a group rather than when all members post. For example, you now will see a story when your friend uploads photos from a recent party at your high school alumni group or when one of your friends posts a message on the Wall of your pick-up soccer group saying that there is a special game this week.

So what does this all mean?  If you already have a Fan Page or a group and have a decent number of fans or group members … keep the status quo.  I know from experience that it’s VERY hard to get people to move from a Fan Page to a group, or vice versa.  There’s no way to pick them up and move them all at once.  They have to do it themselves, and it’s like herding ferrets.  Until this redesign I would have recommended that any organization move from a group to a Fan Page, but it’s no longer a clear cut decision.

If you don’t currently have a group or a Fan Page, or are thinking of making a change, you have a decision to make about how you plan to use Facebook.  If you’ll be primarily posting news about your company and perhaps having discussions with your customers, then a Fan Page is the way to go.  If you’re close with your customers (i.e. you’re Facebook friends with many of them) and need a way to message all of them at once (perhaps to send a coupon) then consider starting a group.

One more note: Become a “fan” of EndGame PR on Facebook!

Somewhere in June [...] Twitter stopped growing, at least according to Compete. The same thing happened to Facebook (Facebook) at the exact same time; at first we’ve attributed the traffic numbers to the summer slumber, but now that Compete’s numbers for September are out, there’s no doubt that both Facebook and Twitter are no longer growing, at least in the eyes of the (admittedly US-centric) Compete.

Be sure to click over to the article, and check out the charts.  They paint the picture pretty well.

So, what does this mean exactly?  That’s unknown at this point, but there are several possibilities.  One is that it’s a blip on the growth chart.  That’s unlikely, as it’s a three month slowdown.  Another possibility is that it’s due to summer and vacations.  Unlikely also, since the slowdown (or even reversal) extends into September.

The final (and I think most likely) possible explanation is that we’re reaching the saturation point (at least in the U.S.) for social networking.  Most of the people who were going to join … have joined.

When you think about it, the saturation theory makes sense.  I frequently teach classes and lead workshops on how business owners can use social media and social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.  I always ask how many in the room use each site, to get an idea of how much explanation will be needed.  Generally, about 75-95% in the room use Facebook.  How many more are really going to sign up?  No product is ever going to have 100% penetration, even within its target demographic.  For example, there are plenty of people who don’t use email much or at all, even though it’s been an accepted business tool for more than 10 years.

My informal polls usually show 25-50% of the room using Twitter.  There’s obviously a lot of room for expansion, but will Twitter ever get significantly larger?  The site concept isn’t as easy to “get” as Facebook, and many people don’t like condensing their thoughts into 140 characters or less.  Many people will never be comfortable on Twitter.

So, if the saturation theory is correct … what’s next for these sites?  For Facebook, there aren’t many worries.  The company is profitable and 300-million users is nothing to scoff at.  For Twitter, the news isn’t as good.  The company is not making a single dime of its own money, despite their recent move to start posting ads on the site and recent infusions of venture funding.

While Twitter’s user base (estimated at 13 to 15-million) is quite healthy, if it stops growing, bad things could happen.  The most damaging scenario could be that a new competitor seeps in, starts growing, and becomes the “next big thing”.  Remember FriendFeed?  It was a big dog on the block once upon a time.  Then, Facebook came along.  Now, Facebook owns FriendFeed.

Or, if you’re a fan of charts like I am (statistics is the only type of math I’ve ever understood), you’ll find this one interesting.  Which country do you suppose has the largest percentage of its population on Facebook?  Hint: It’s not the United States.

Techcrunch has made these images and others available here.  Take a look and find the answer to the question, “What country has the third highest number of Facebook users, after the U.S. and U.K.?”  I’m not ashamed to admit it … I was surprised when I found out.

I must admit that while I’m a Twitterjunkie, I didn’t notice it too much.  I was producing a podcast and working on a client website, so I wouldn’t have been Tweeting anyhow.  I do know at least one colleague (jokingly) said that without Twitter, she’d lost her will to live.

More on the outage from the Associated Press:
Hackers attack Twitter, Facebook also slows down

How did you handle your lack of Twitter?  Were you more productive?  Were you less productive due to the cold sweats and nausea?

I had a great time last night talking Twitter and Facebook with the Virginia Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).  I was invited, along with Dave Park from Media General (that’s us in the picture — I’m the one in the tie), to visit their meeting at Capital Ale House to participate in a roundtable discussion on how journalists can use social media and social networking sites.

Here’s a minor recap of the discussion:

• Most of the journalists in attendance understand the value of using Twitter, Facebook, and blogging to promote their work and their media organizations, but the issue is time. With the cutbacks at media organizations, it’s hard to do the primary work that needs to be done.
• There’s a problem keeping your personal life on Facebook and (to a lesser extent) Twitter separate from your work life. My suggestion on Twitter is to have multiple accounts – one for work and one for personal. On Facebook, I think the solution is to create a page for your organization, and all reporters would have administrative priviledges so they can post news items there.
• There was a great deal of debate about citizen journalism, particularly when it comes to photos taken at breaking news scenes such as January’s plane crash into the Hudson River.  The first images from that scene were posted on Flickr and Twitter before ever being seen by the traditional media.  My opinion is that we can never again expect that the first images to come from a scene like that will be from professional journalists.  That day is gone. The role of traditional media in these cases will be to first acquire images and information from citizen journalists, and second to have a reporter and professional photojournalist on scene for more in-depth reporting and follow-up.
• There’s concern about how to manage posting “volume” on social networking sites.  There were some who worried about posting every single article from an organization on Facebook and/or Twitter and potentially irritating friends/followers with a flood of links.  I don’t think posting every single article is the answer. Breaking news and links to big stories should be posted, along with “inside” or “background” information on stories that were published that day or are about to be published.

I’d like to thank the SPJ chapter for inviting me. I had a great time and it was a great discussion.

While you’re at it, if you haven’t joined the EndGame PR Facebook Page, I’d love to have you there as well!

The main concern among many individuals and businesses is whether the social media audience skews too young to be useful to … for instance … a company that produces products for the elderly.  My answer to that is two-fold:

1. I have no research to back this up, but it seems reasonable to assume that a portion of the population purchasing products for the elderly actually consists of people buying the products for their parents.  Additionally, even if these “children” aren’t doing all of their parents’ shopping, they’re likely in a position where they can advise them on what products might be useful.
2. The population of the social media universe is aging … rapidly.

This blog post addresses primarily the second point above.  I’ve seen this with my own eyes.  I was recently “friended” on Facebook by my mother-in-law. She’s 69 years old.

I will admit a considerable amount of shock and disbelief when I received the notification email from Facebook.  I knew my mother-in-law recently was given a laptop, but didn’t expect to use it beyond emailing her extended family.

This type of story is being heard all over these days, as people once thought to be excluded voluntarily or involuntarily from the social media universe are bullying their way in.  Time magazine recently published an article that explains why social media sites like Facebook are actually better for old fogies than for younger folks.  The article was written with the tongue firmly in cheek, but it makes some interesting and extremely valid points.

If that justification weren’t enough, it seems social media sites are beginning to pop up that are actually designed from the ground up for the older population.  While I question whether these sites will survive long term, you have to assume (hope?) the firms behind these sites did some research that proves there’s an audience out there.

One final point I can make on this topic is that, going forward, the elderly and the retired population will be made up of people who are much more comfortable with computers.  People reaching retirement age in the next 5 to 10 years will have had more than a little contact with the Internet during their working years.  The reason this is relevent is obviously that they’ll be more likely to be comfortable visiting sites like Facebook and Twitter (or whatever is the hot site in 5-10 years).  You always hear that people who are on social media sites have too much time on their hands.  Who has more time on their hands than a retiree?

Dr Aric Sigman says the amount of time we spend with each other has slumped dramatically and in turn is damaging our health.

He says our devotion to such sites could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, and the function of arteries, and influence mental performance.

Levels of hormones such as the “cuddle chemical” oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not.

This could increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia.

Dr Sigman spells out his warning in the latest issue of Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology, and maintains that social networking sites have played a significant role in people becoming more isolated.

Sounds a little crazy, I think … but he’s a doctor and I’m not, so I won’t argue with him too much.  It just reminds me of the doctors 10 years ago who cried that the Interwebs would lead to isolation.  Instead, because of social media and social networking sites and the “meet ups” that grow out of them, I’ve met (virtually or in person) more people than I possibly could have otherwise.

Too much of anything is probably bad for you, which is I guess what Dr. Sigman was trying to say.  It’s something that needs to be watched particularly closely with kids, and responsible parents do that.  That’s common sense.  I just hope no one overreacts to this report.

Facebook and its 150 million highly addicted users (a number that’s growing rapidly) have become such a part of our culture that it’s rare to get a gathering of people together where the site doesn’t come up in one way or another.  I was astounded recently at a post-Christmas party to hear Facebook mentioned at least 10 times among the 15 people or so in attendance.

Facebook is celebrating by offering special thank you cards (electronic cards, of course) to send to your friends on the site.  I’m getting ready to send a few out now.  They’ve also posted information on the Facebook official “page” (Facebook account required for that link).

Please click on the Facebook badge above to join the EndGame PR page on Facebook!

Facebook … is growing … by 600,000 or more users … per … day.

(crickets chirping)

There’s no way to really comprehend that type of growth.  Think about it … that’s like everyone in a small to medium-sized city signing up each day!  In all, Facebook has 140 million users.

If we didn’t have it before, this is proof positive that social media and social networking has reached the mainstream.  Facebook started out as being for college students only.  You had to have a college email address just to sign up.  Once they lifted that restriction, “old” people like me started to flock to the site as a way to keep in touch with friends, share pictures, and play games.  It truly is like a class reunion every day over there.

So, what does this mean for PR people and businesses hoping to promote themselves in this social media landscape?  Obviously, it means you need to have a presence (either a page or a group) on Facebook, and that advertising there is becoming more and more attractive.  Facebook has been known for some time as a very inexpensive site to place ad, and right now it’s probably the best social media site on which to advertisde.  Of its primary competitors for eyeballs, MySpace is so 2007 and Twitter doesn’t have advertising … yet.

Another way to take advantage of Facebook’s growing mass of people is by building applications for the site.  These are simple programs that provide fun or information for users.  They add them to their account, and when they do it’s broadcast out to all of their “friends” … essentially advertising the existance of the application.

PR professionals need to understand how to use these new tools.  It’s no secret that using the media to “get the word out” isn’t the only, or even the best, way to help our clients anymore.

For kicks, I created a page for EndGame Public Relations.  Click the badge below to go there and join in!

I’ve also created a group for my flagship podcast, Startup BizCast. Feel free to join up by clicking here!