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Stats show that more moms are flocking to Facebook. Is that surprizing? Not when you consider the timeless saying, “Do you know where your kids are?” Well, they are on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and they are texting instead of phoning home. My kids signed up for Facebook in the early days, so I signed up for an account because I wanted to learn about it. Would my kids be safe? How could I help them realize that there is no such thing as privacy online? Would they know what to share and what not to share with the world? Would they recognize that their online social presence tells a story about who they are as individuals? I needed to understand Facebook before I could do all of that. My son told me point blank:   

“Old people aren’t on Facebook, Mom. So why are you on it?”

I laughed, but I didn’t cancel Facebook. When my son was in Grade 11, I was surprized when he invited me to be his Facebook “friend.” It was nice, but I didn’t realize how special it was until I started speaking to other moms and my Sheridan College students. Apparently it isn’t a common occurence. I was an FB “friend,” but I was still a mom. I bit my tongue about the little things and provided feedback when I thought it was important. During my son’s first year at University, I worried about the big change, but he looked so happy with his shaved head, purple skin, and purple jacket. Kids don’t phone home anymore. Instead they text and they are online. I’m happy to jump in with both feet (or thumbs).

The mind works in mysterious ways because I thought, if more moms are on Facebook then why aren’t more businesses on social networks where customers and top talent choose to be?

Over 17 million Canadians are on social networks, with 50% visiting a social media site about once a week and 35% visiting every day! Facebook has over 750 million users worldwide. LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, have continued to grow. Yet only 1 in 5 Canadian companies post and monitor social media discussions regularly. Posting and monitoring are thought to be the pillars of effective social media use. (Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO, KDPaine & Partners). The reasons for not embracing social media ranged from a lack of resources to the thought that it was a waste of energy and time.

What do you think? Is your organization taking the leap to embrace social media and social networking like moms are flocking to Facebook? Share your comments.

Best regards, Joanne Royce

P.S. If you need help developing social media and social networking strategies, to support your people, find future talent,and build company brand, contact us.