Posted by Christopher Stevenson
I never thought I'd reach an age when I would have trouble keeping up with new technology or software. I remember playing Mattel's Intellivision with my dad and wondering why in the world he couldn't manage to move his guys on screen without looking down at the controller in his hand. I wasn't quite sure why such a smart and capable guy couldn't wallop his 11-year old son at a simple vid
eo game. (Remember Biplanes, Dad?) Now, at 38, I understand.
I've been dabbling in lots of different areas of social media and have found that I just don't get a lot of it. Obviously, I blog. No problem there. It's just a different way for me to publish my writing. But other areas are beyond me.
I have a Facebook page, but only three friends--one of CUES' presenters, someone from high school that I never really knew well, and one real-life friend. I'm a Facebook wallflower. To compound things, I don't understand why I would want to give someone electronic eggnog as a gift or become a zombie so I can bite people virtually.
Twitter is another thing. Again, I registered to see how it worked, but I've never used it. I don't get it. I don't have the inclination to micro-blog and I'm not at all sure that my stream of consciousness is worthy of sharing with others. Truly, how many people would actually be interested in reading that I'm in the mood for another donut?
But then I found LinkedIn. As with Facebook and Twitter, I began to dabble just to see what it was and how it worked. At first I didn't see the value. Then Shari pinged me and saved me from LinkedIn misfithood. (Thanks for the rescue, Shari.) It got the ball rolling for me. Although I'm still a newbie, I've begun to see the value in LinkedIn; it suits me. I can keep in contact with the speakers we use at CUES events, network with authors, and keep in touch with friends both old and new. Plus, I can reach out through my network to find new resources that benefit CUES members. Given, I can't send a friend electronic eggnog, but I can keep my business network active, and that's one of the most important things to me.
None of this is to say that Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media tool is useless. They're meeting the needs of millions of people, but I'm not their target. The thing is, Gen Y is digging Facebook and Twitter, and the generation-yet-to-be-named (those younger than Y) is getting the pump primed by Webkinz. If you're a CU marketer and looking for ways to reach younger, up-and-coming members, you have to get at least some grasp of the tools they're using for keeping in touch. Try a number of different sites. See what works for you. The more you dabble the more likely you'll find something that hits the mark. Given, you may not be able to truly get the appeal of Facebook and you may never tweet, but you can get a feel for the broad appeal of social networking. And, I'll be your friend (on Facebook) or your connection (on LinkedIn) so you'll have a starting point for your networks and won't ever have to worry about being a social media misfit. Just look me up.
