I’m confused why we refer to this world of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, MySpace, etc., as “social” media. From everything I’ve experienced, it should really be called “anti-social” media.
The sad reality is that social media has devolved into a series of faceless and impersonal interactions through PCs, smartphones and tablets, whereby the human element has eroded. Despite years of experiencing how annoying someone’s inane status updates about “taking a shower,” or “just made an omelet but forgot to add pepper,” or “I just checked in eating garlic knots at Vinny’s Pizza at 2am,” can be to those who follow them, consumers and brands can’t seem to stop the self-serving love. Pretty much the only comment I’ve yet to see is, “OMG, I just took in another #breath, love that O2.”
The opportunity coming out of the “Anti-Social” era of digital marketing is that it has become a targeting dream for the marketing community. Marketers now have the exact location, hobbies, interests and, often, demographics of a consumer, which are very powerful tools with the proper privacy rights in place. More information means better advertising, greater consumer engagement, less waste and better ROI.
I know I’m getting older, but I remember when you actually called someone to wish them a happy birthday or to invite them out. Then, once you and a friend got together, you paid attention to the conversation instead of texting and posting to all the people that weren’t there. And then to endear your friend or loved one further, you bought a drink or introduced them to a possible partner – not plow your dirt bike full speed through a wooden fence to generate views and “Likes,” only to disappear as fast as you came into the picture.
I know this may come as a real shocker, but interacting directly with other humans is what helps people and brands generate the much sought after “Like.”
Make sure to get in that face time with your family and friends, as that is all what truly matters in life. Oh, and trending now: #antisocialmedia.