What Social Media is Cool with Teens?

It seems that teens change their mind as often as we think. One day they like something, the next day they don’t. Well it isn’t any different with their choice of social media. Teens want to be able to express themselves but also not do so in front of their parents. A recent story in the NY Times highlights studies that founds teens are more interested in using Twitter this year versus last year. They’re also more interested in using Instagram but not Facebook. Parents, if you have a Facebook account only to monitor your kids, you’ll want to make sure you understand Twitter and Instagram, too.

source: uknowkids.com

Social Media Pictures

Social media tools that allow you to post pictures and videos are very helpful tools to let folks get a glimpse of life from your point of view.

Recently, one of the most repressive governments, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea to you and me, allowed two reporters to begin to use Instagram to share photos of their country. Since so few people travel to North Korea or are allowed to share images that aren’t heavily censored, it is a very interesting view of a place you and I have never seen before.

Looking at it from the point of view of a person with disability, how would you want to share your life in pictures with someone who may not have seen how someone with a disability lives? How would you want to do a video using Vine or YouTube? As an Arc staffer, you know that just like the photos from North Korea, there will be nothing different than what we all experience everyday. But not everyone knows that yet. You and I are the ones who will need to show others via viral social media tools.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t just use 999. Use all of them!

10 Social Media Things I’m Thankful for This Year

Coming up on Thanksgiving, I wanted to share a top ten list of things I’m thankful for when it comes to social media.

10. Restricted social media like Path to share with a select group of people.
9. Getting up to the minute news via Twitter.
8. Learning what rhymes with purple from Pinterest.
7. Meeting a co-presenter online and working virtually with her for a year before meeting in real life.
6. Facebook hasn’t changed my privacy settings for a while…oh wait, nevermind. They just did again 😦
5. Foursquare rolled out updates for local merchants (including nonprofit merchants)
4. Instagram was opened up to Droids.
3. More books specific to nonprofit use of social media have been published including these three gems: 1, 2, 3.
2. That share button on every piece of mail, email, and website is increasingly important.

and the number one social media thing I am thankful for this Thanksgiving season is…

1. Using Social Media for Nonprofits Gangnam Style

Creators – Social Media and Gender Part 2

I wanted to follow up my last post on social media and gender by sharing some new social media and gender information.  A new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that of people who post online new videos and photos they created account for 46% of internet users.  People who repost videos and photos created by others account for 41% of internet users.

Studying these 87% percent of internet users, they found that 12% use Pinterest.  They also found that women prefer Pinterest and 19% of all women online use Pinterest. Does your agency target women as constituents, donors, or volunteers?  Pinterest might be the way to reach them.

What if you wanted to reach a younger audience?  The same study found that the same number of people use Instagram. more than one-quarter of all internet users aged 18-29 use it.  Sounds like Instagram may be a way to go if this is your audience.

Are you strategically considering demographics when choosing which social media tool to use?  You should.  It can mean the difference between reaching your targeted audience or speaking to an empty room.

photo from Suite 101