Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
A recent Mashable article details the story of Sam, a man who decided to deactivate his Facebook as part of a social experiment. Sam wanted to understand what he would miss and how he would feel when he disconnected from the world’s largest social media community.
After 5 months, Sam didn’t really miss Facebook.
Without Facebook, Sam said he was able to enjoy social events without wondering what funny status update to post on Facebook later. While he said he often feels like “the only kid on the schoolyard without a TV” he also said he could experience things in a more active and legitimate way - something he felt he lacked when his life was connected to the world of Social Media.
That tethering of personal and social is something everyone with a Twitter account or a Facebook page can understand – social media can be a blessing and a curse.
And while the results of his experiment are more expected than groundbreaking, his experiment reinforces something our agency says time and time again: Social Media happens – engage or die.
If you disconnect, the Social Media world rolls on without you.
If you take yourself out of the conversation, the conversation still happens.
Just because Sam “didn’t have to worry” about friends posting funny party pictures on Facebook doesn’t mean the pictures weren’t posted anyway - The only difference is that Sam didn’t see them.
Embarrassing picture? Funny story? The name of the cute girl he couldn’t remember?
It’s all there.
But Sam isn’t.
And because he’s missing, he’s powerless.
Regardless of whether you are a person or a brand, Social Media happens.
You can’t avoid it and you can’t afford to ignore it….
The conversation goes on with our without you.
Tags: consumers, Insights, labarge+partners, Social Media
Posted in Blog | No Comments »
