My grandmother believed that talking on the phone was a fad. Once history disproved her, she still maintained that if kids and teens were allowed to talk on the phone, they would either end up on drugs or pregnant, whichever applied most fearfully at the time.
My grandmother was wrong on both accounts. And in this limiting way, my grandmother averted the task of learning or of even thinking open-mindedly.
More recently, tenured business people have opined that social media is a fad, a silly pastime, or a “cute” game. As proof, they consistently offer an anecdote in which someone posted something random on “MyFace” or “Spacebook.” With the transgression, the entire form of media is dismissed, thus similarly relieving anyone from the responsibility to either learn or think innovatively.
I enjoy asking these people if a prank phone call would cause them to have their phones removed from home and office. So far, no takers. Similarly, it makes no sense to ignore the most powerful form of media because someone said something uninteresting.
And the trump card has been “Neat, but is there any ROI?” Well, how about this? Facebook now drives more internet traffic than Google. What?! Yep.
Facebook now drives more internet traffic than Google. Anyone still questioning the ROI on social must have their head in the sand. Facebook topping Google as the #1 driver of traffic online proves that social is neither a fad, nor a pastime, nor a game. Social is an ROI-driving business force online.
For a website of any kind, traffic is the lifeblood of all online commerce, interaction, and entertainment. It’s one of the primary ways we measure success online, drive purchases, and connect with audiences.
New research shows that instead of search engines, people now prefer using their friends’ links, recommendations, photos, and comments to lead them around the web. So for brands and organizations who still want traffic on their websites, the way forward is to foster accurate communications when people talk about you. Give them interesting things to say and ensure that you’re in the game to get your share of traffic.
And it makes perfect sense. Who wouldn’t believe a friend’s recommendation over a stranger’s assertion or a paid announcement? It’s ironic to me that the most stalwart hold-outs on social are also some of the most connected people in business. They know the immense power of personal connection and recommendation. And yet a few are still somehow missing the boat by ignoring that the rest of the world operates on the exact same principles.
Whatever caused my grandmother to prefer to avoid new developments, I will never know. But avoidance of the new ensures one thing: being stuck.
Social is now “what came after search” online. Come on in. The water is fine.