Bye Bye Birdie?

“Facebook, yes. Twitter, no,” he said.

My oldest son, a college student, told me today he has taken some drastic measures to manage his social media use. Like, shutting down Twitter. That’s fine, I can understand that. He did so because he didn’t see the utility of the tool, and he also found it too distracting. It isn’t that he sees no value in the micro-blog/news and info burst that is Twitter. Rather, he doesn’t care to engage in reading – or sending – tweets. He has other things to do, bigger things (like big reading lists and papers, and people, too).

I thought this was interesting, since I’ve been reading some things lately that indicate Twitter is tending to be an older person’s tool (apologies to the “older” 30s readers).  There is research that younger web users are not flocking to Twitter (pardon the pun):

8% of Internet users ages 12 to 17 use Twitter, but…73% of wired American teenagers use social networking sites (like Facebook)

Anecdotal evidence from other parents affirms what my 18 year-old son has told me: Young adults “just aren’t into Twitter.” Sure, they use Facebook, but not Twitter.

I’ve yet to really figure out the reasons for this. But I’ll admit that I’ve got a little voice inside my head that tells me they might be right here. “Maybe you’re fooling yourself about all this Twitter-mania. Maybe it isn’t ‘the next big thing’ that you hoped. Maybe you’ve been an early adopter on a losing technology/tool.”

Now, I’m not ready to give Twitter up yet. And I’m not suggesting that Twitter users don’t have other things in life, and so they waste hours a day broadcasting the littlest activities and thoughts.

I tweet a fair amount myself, although I am hardly a power user.  And I think the benefits of Twitter are here to stay, much like this writer in the New York Times.  At times I do wonder, however, if there’s going to be a positive, lasting effect to the time spent on Twitter.

Now, don’t share my self-doubts with my wife, please. She already disdains much of the web’s offerings, and I don’t need to validate any of her assumptions.

I’m not ready to say, “Bye bye, Twitter.” In fact, I’ll be tweeting a link to this post! But if you have thoughts – either way – about Twitter, I’d love to hear them.

Radio: A Strong Buy

Radio is strong.

I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.

According to recent research,

• Broadcast radio reaches over 79% of all U.S. adults daily, who listen on average for over two hours daily.

And it isn’t just for an “older generation:”

• Even among younger adults (18-34 years old), radio reached more than 79% of the population –  with an average listening time of more than one and a half hours each day.

When I’ve run advertising campaigns, I’ve always included radio in the mix. There’s no reason to change, either. Smart money goes into smart radio buys. Use radio well, and it delivers exceptional results!

More encouraging data about radio here (see the report titled, “How U.S. Adults Use Radio and Other Forms of Audio from the Council for Research Excellence Video Consumer Mapping Study”).

Reaching Gen Y

Here’s a thoughtful, engaging conversation about how to reach Gen Y – what they value, how they relate to the messenger AND the message. Takes about 20 minutes, and the interview begins around the 3:20 mark. The stats alone make it worth your while, although there’s much more here.

Gen Y: Can’t Turn It Off?

Writer Liz Funk offers insights about Gen Y and the “always on” aspect to their lives.

When teens and twentysomethings spend their downtime keenly aware that they have tasks pouring into their Blackberries or iPhones it’s hard to ignore the urge to respond — maybe they’ll send a quick email while driving or while a friend has gotten up to use the bathroom at dinner. It makes leisure time a blurry period in between work and school, rather than a peaceful and completely restorative activity.

I’m watching my own kids go that direction – that phone is an extension of his (long) arms! Well, at least one of them. Unless he is in the mountains, with no cell service!

FaceBook vs MySpace vs…?

Who will will the battle for user numbers? Who is number three? And are there other metrics that matter? Here’s a good piece about the growth of social networks.

Feedback requested: How would you rate the various measures in the article?

Gen Y Mom and The Zen Tech Warrior

Want to reach your audience? Know who they are, what they do and where they are. Here’s an article about everything from the Gen Y Mom to the Zen Tech Warrior.

Money quote:

Brands must keep pace with consumers with a presence at every stage of the conversation (where they can respond, not react) and formulate a Web reputation strategy to manage viral insurrections. They also should be developing their content and other strategies across all platforms: mobile, digital, out-of-home, broadcast, broadband and social media.

So much to learn!