Social media is everywhere (seriously, we can’t escape it). It’s caught at an interesting crossroad of recognition; is it a fad or a legitimate medium? I have to believe it’s the real deal. Besides the simple fact that my job depends on its survival, a couple of current events suggest that social media is thriving.

If you didn’t know it, today is “Everybody draw Mohammed day” on Facebook. The numbers the group has reached fascinates me. It’s jumped 50,000 fans in one day. What’s more is that Facebook is the driving medium for the group. They have gained so much attention that the sovereign state of Pakistan has banned Facebook. That’s right, they banned Facebook. I think the concept of drawing Mohammed is mediocre, but that’s where Facebook thrives. The marriage of an average concept with the ease of Facebook is bolstering causes that wouldn’t survive in other media. In other words, social media is changing non-movements into strong movements.
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I’ve used Facebook so long that I feel like I created it. Call it arrogance, but when they rolled out a new look last month, I was surprised Mark Zuckerberg hadn’t consulted me first… As an early adopter, I also hold the impression that only college students use Facebook. I would have been correct six years ago, but the game has changed.

Looking through the Welt Branding fan page, it’s clear that the users aren’t 20 anymore (no offense). In fact, 50% of our fans are ages 25-34. While some of these fans may still be in college (some pursuing more degrees, others taking a decade for a B.A.), it’s clear that Facebook demographics are shifting.
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Have you ever justified an action with, “Everyone is doing it!”? If so, you were most likely met with the equally cliché, “If ‘so-and-so’ tells you to jump off a bridge, are you going to do it?”…This is the current culture of advertising in social media.

Like lemmings making a break for the sea, small businesses are lining up without good reason. Do businesses need to be advertising in all social media platforms?
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Social media marketing is the 2010 version of the hula hoop. Everybody wants it, but not everybody knows how to use it. Some companies, particularly those who don’t understand marketing, are joining social media sites without knowing what they are getting into. And while the positive aspects of social media marketing are obvious, even seasoned veterans in the marketing field are struggling to assess its latent risk.

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