Social media is about connecting and sharing, right? People to People. People to Brands. People to Ideas. People to Content.
We are inundated with messages and info about using social media for marketing. 5 Ways to Tweet. How To Build More FaceFriends. Why You Should Use A Cartoon Avatar.
Sometimes we fail to really dig into the core.
I’d like to share a few ways in which social media has shaped the way in which my family stays connected and shares.
Social Networks
First, let me introduce (or re-introduce, as the case may be) my 99 year old Grandmother, Mary. Our Matriarch. Mother of 8, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Great, Great-Grandmother to many. She rode a horse to her fist job- teaching in a one-room school house.
I received an email from her just this morning.
And grandma’s not the only one who’s connected- we all are. Let’s just say we have a large family. We are a close-knit, yet scattered. My generation grew up together at family outings and get-togethers. Climbing trees, whiffle ball, sharing a giant hammock and even getting the chance to catch crawdads from time to time. It’s a great family.
Growing up, we shared laughs and spent a great deal of time together. Now, we’re many miles apart, like a lot of families. We have been using the family social network myfamily.com for a number of years to keep in touch and share: photos of first-birthday caked faces, stories of life events, videos and more.
Micro-Blogging
It’s easy to become tired of micro-blogging when we become innundated with the mundane. However, for every “Going to buy milk” update, there are people sharing something interesting. Stories. Ideas.
A key point of micro-blogging (one that I think some who write it off too early fail to recognize) is that people choose to subscribe (or unscubscribe) to information. If you find it boring, narcissistic, or irrelevant, the un-subscribe button is calling.
Want a great example of micro-blogging (and SMS) connects people? I followed my parents fall-tour of Europe via Twitter.
My father, at Normandy…
Just spent time at the American cemetery where more than 9000 Americans are buried
A number of texts, Tweets, and DM’s ensued during their trip. It was quick, it was easy. A helluva lot easier (and cheaper) than calling.
It connected a number of us together. We were interested in the adventures they were having. In turn, they kept up with us and our kids (and WVU scores!).
The important part is that we stayed connected, though thousands of miles apart, in 140 characters or less.
Video Sharing
Folks like my Grandmother have incredible stories to tell. The Greatest Generation. The Great Depression. War(s) and the peace that followed. Civil Rights.
And she’s staying connected with me. And others. Historical and personal living histories can be shared amongst generations, digitally.
So, is digital storytelling the new oral history? I don’t know, but here’s an instance that might point to the answer:
Recently, my parents picked up one of the HD hand-held cameras that we use with a number of our partners, a Kodak zi6. They had the idea of having my Grandmother share some of her stories so they could post on the family website. I’d like to post them for all the world to enjoy as well. Generational gaps get bridged via a $150 HD camera and an Internet connection. Amazing.
If we’re talking across generations with this stuff, these tools, we should be able to have meaningful conversations about business, right?
How are you bridging gaps, connecting people, and sharing your story?
Tags: business relationships, getting started in social media, Pat Strader