How much is social media really changing the mind set of Genertaion Y? By Lance Williams
Social media is all the buzz in many areas of our lives. Most people have a Facebook profile, many have Twitter accounts and many also have personal and professional blogs that they spend time with. This is not all either, there are many other social media outlets that are crying for your attention. In all reality, it’s hard to avoid. It seems that social media is how most of us are being social these days, but how much is social media really changing the mind set of this generation?
We already know that the majority of people are using social media to some degree, so let’s first look at the ways it is affecting how we do business. For those trying to build a new business, it’s the best and easiest way to reach a far-flung audience. Not to mention it is also relatively inexpensive. With little to no money, you can set up a blog for your business, a Facebook page and a Twitter account. For these reasons, the current generation (known as the Millennial Generation, Gen Y and a host of other names) have become aware that you can establish brand name recognition as well a fan base with relative ease. They will pursue business opportunities because of this and also be more savvy with SEO tactics and other internet marketing techniques. It’s not just information that is available at our fingertips anymore, it is also opportunities.
Social media is also affecting the consumer mind-set because they have come to expect a way to be connected with others, including the businesses that they frequent. Through Facebook and Twitter, consumers and Internet users (which are almost synonymous these days) can hear about deals and promotions in real-time. They can also maintain a relationship with the owners via their mini messages. The distance between owner and customer has narrowed, making it easier than ever to make decisions and alter practices to keep them happy
The consumer also frequently looks no further than what a search engine tells them is relevant to their inquiry. For someone looking to build a new home in California, a quick internet search of ‘general contractors Fresno’ may provide a dozen or so options. From here they are likely to make contact with those on the list and then make their decision. If a good choice was not found on their Internet search, they may never find out about it.
The truth is social media is not just changing the mind set of this generation, it’s changing how business is getting done. For those that don’t agree, they will find themselves lagging behind those who have figured out how to make social media work for them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lance Williams
Lance Williams is someone who may call himself an H.A.D.D. (Hobby Attention Deficit Disorder) I love to do everything from Snowboarding and rock climbing to building websites and reading books.
(This is the bio Lance sent. There is so much more to learn about him, so please do head to his blog to read what he’s really up to!)
Bea Fields is the President of 
