Heads Up: Social Media Is Here For Good

It’s Social Media week here at Echelon. We’ve gathered our marketing and sales teams together to discuss strategies and overall trends with the major networks. Echelon’s Chris Brown posted a recent article discussing Facebook and its impact on the social world. We’ve even launched a new YouTube page as another networking tool for media resourcing.

I scoffed at Bill Gates in 2005 when he predicted that CDs and DVDs would soon be “extinct.” I originally laughed at the idea of email becoming a reliable form of communication. Now, I look at my media collection and realize that I have purchased more hard drives to support my digital media than I have CDs or DVDs the past year. I open an office drawer to find postage stamps that have witnessed two rate changes since they were last used on the heels of recent ominous news regarding the future of the US Post Office. My instinct this time in regards to Social Media, was like many I’m sure. But I had to catch myself and when I looked at the staggering figures, I realized, Social Media is here for good.

I came across a video from Socialnomics.net yesterday that provides some astounding statistics:

• By 2010 Gen Y will outnumber Baby Boomers….96% of them have joined a social network
• 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media
• Years to Reach 50 millions Users:

Radio (38 Years) 
TV (13 Years)
Internet (4 Years)
iPod (3 Years)
Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months
iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months.

• 35% of book sales on Amazon are for the Kindle when available

It’s obvious that the growth and popularity is undeniable and as the haze is slowly drifting aside, the role it plays in day to day business is starting to become clear. As shown, 80% of companies use LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees. If Social Media has been able to establish a reliable recruiting tool for businesses, there is no doubt to its value in marketing, customer service and networking.

“Social Media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.”

Have you designed a strategy to undertake this revolution?