Social Media and Gender

Do you know who uses social media? Do you know that women are driving social media usage? It’s true. Today I sahre with you to sources detailing it.

First, here’s a news story and infographic. It demonstrates who uses the biggest social media tools – the gender, age, education and income of the people who engage with your Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Digg and LinkedIn pages.

Second, here is a video from the TED series that discusses demographics and the importance of women in business and how they drive social media.

So are you targeting women with your social media sites?

Web Video and Innovation

Are you using web video to share your story? If not are you missing out on innovation and reaching new audiences?

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin has been in the news recently because of the HBO movie about her life. She recently gave a talk as part of the TED series discussing how her mind and the mind of people with autism spectrum disorder works and what makes them tick.

Are you allowing people with disabilities, the people you serve, to help you in your on-line efforts? Are you using them in a focus group to get their feedback on the marketing you do? Temple also hints at why that may be a good idea.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Video Fridays #27 When Social Media Became News

James Surowiecki pinpoints the moment when social media became an equal player in the world of news-gathering: the 2005 tsunami, when YouTube video, blogs, IMs and txts carried the news — and preserved moving personal stories from the tragedy.

How have you used social media for your news source? The Arc of Northern Virginia is live tweeting their state’s budget hearings on funding for programs supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Kuods to @TheArcofNoVa

Video Fridays #25 – Intimacy

Social media is a great tool to build intimacy with your constituents. Here is a video from Stefana Broadbent. Stefana is a cognitive scientist who watches us while we talk (and IM, and text). She is one of a new class of ethnographers who study the way our social habits and relationships function and mutate in the digital age. I hope you enjoy the video. Please share your feedback below in the comments section.