Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our Youth

Want to know the impact of technology on our society in the future? Take a look at how younger generations interact and engage with one another these days. Think you are technically savvy? Well, so did I until I had a conversation with my niece. By the time we got off of the phone I felt like I had been cast in The Flintstones Meet the Jetsons. There is no disconnect between younger generations and technology, their mobile phone is like an appendage.

I love this video because as you can see if you try to continue to use outdated technology then it’s perceived as just…. boring! Our future, our kids don’t understand it.

Having an understanding of social media, technology and our youth is essential for your business to prosper.

Changes in Technology

Technology and our youth have changed the way you should promote our business. With the invention and mass production of Smart TVs, tablets and phones that do everything but cook dinner, a regular commercial on television is less likely to been seen by a teenager than an ad on Twitter which has the potential to reach millions of customers a day because 95% of 12-17 year old Americans are on social media every day. For many big name companies their target demographic is changing to customers under the age of 30 and they are finding new and inventive ways everyday through social media and technology to grab their attention. Social networks can reach an unprecedented amount of people in a short time and for a fraction of what you would pay for a TV commercial.

The internet offers almost an unlimited customer base and in order to be successful in the digital/technological age, your company should take advantage of utilizing the internet. A company’s website is the first impression for a lot of potential customers and makes shopping easy for active customers. When was the last time you used a phone book, I can’t remember the last time I used one. If I want to try a new restaurant I usually Google it to read the reviews before I even go to the website and there have actually been times that I didn’t dine in a particular establishment because of how unprofessional or information lacking their website was. A website can be more important than the signage on your company door because we live in a time where the internet is quickly becoming the number 1 place for commerce and your online customer base may never visit your establishment or company.

Life via Social Media

Privacy, what’s that? Unlike in times past where you had to be a celebrity to gain notoriety or spend big wads of money now all you need is a cell phone with a camera, an uplink to any number of social media sites and voilá, instant fame. People check in at favorite businesses they frequent to let their friends know where they are, have phone conversations in public and post pictures that chronicle their lives. There is almost no expectation of privacy and many companies compile information from the internet so that you can tailor your advertisements to a specific customer base. With the assistance of social media you can know a person’s age, race, interests, likes, dislikes and so much more take what used to be a lot of guess work out of a marketing strategy. Social media is something “Madmen” (advertisers in the 50’s and 60’s) could only have dreamt about.

woman-at-sign-stress-ball

Customer Interaction

Although the technique may have changed, customer interaction and communication is still one of the cornerstones of business. Maybe now your meetings are via Skype instead of over dinner but it is of the utmost importance that at all times we stay connected with our customers and changing with the times is essential. Emails have just about bankrupted the post office to the point where mailing a letter is almost taboo. Long gone are the days of buying the Sunday paper for the coupons, so companies have turned to the internet. Many companies offer their customers incentives to sign up for email promotions often in the form of a coupon or other discounts. Some department stores have gone a step further and have made it a regular practice to also offer their employees prizes and incentives to sign customers up for email promotions rewarding them with in store promotional giveaways and discounts. Another way companies are connecting with their clientele on the internet is through surveys. Surveys are a great to gauge whether or not your company is relating to your customer base, show the customer that you are interested in their opinions and see where there is room for improvement.

Where do you start and how do you begin to promote your business online while appealing to a new customer base?  Using technology to promote your business is key. It is undeniable that Gen X and Gen Y spend the majority of their time online with one another and the only way to reach them will be by furnishing an engaging digital platform. There are a number of creative ways to promote your new or updated website. Emails are always a good place to start but a great addition would be the usage of custom technology items with your logo, web address and your social media page address on it, the product will speak for itself. Embracing the digital age is essential to the growth and expansion of any business.

How does your company use technology for promotion? What is the number one way you drive visitors to your website? Have you utilized social media to connect with clients? What is your strategy? Which is your most successful social media platform?

Have you ever used useful giveaways to attract “followers” or website traffic?

How has it helped your company grow, if so, how?

45 thoughts on “Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our Youth

  1. It is so amazing and breathtaking to watch things move can change. It really does make it hard to keep up with it all. I also laughed because I had a very similar conversation with my own niece and boy did I get an education. I always thought of myself as being ahead of the curve for my age group, the key phrase is age group… LOL.

    I agree, many websites are in serious need of updating and it really can and does impact business opportunities for anyone who happens to be searching for their services.

    As for me. I am on the big ones, but I am still learning. Twitter is by far my largest share platform, FB not so much. Google + is picking up stream. I have done some giveaways but and in the process of evaluating what to do in that regard. Sigh! So much to do and so little time (and knowledge). 🙂
    Susan Cooper recently posted…Laird Estate Pinot Grigio: WineMy Profile

    • Hi Susan- Yes things are changing. . I mentioned to my daughter the other day that someone I knew was acting like Simon Legree. She had no idea who that was. It is a character from Uncle Tom’s Cabin. A book we had to read when we were in grade school. Boy did I feel old. I also thought I was ahead of my age group as well.

      I am constantly revamping my website. When someone sees the old stuff, they move on to something new.

      Facebook doesn’t do much for me but I also see that Google + is picking up. I am not surprised as it is one of Google’s baby. Maybe will catch up or maybe not. But we do have memories and ideas that are invaluable.
      Arleen recently posted…Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our YouthMy Profile

  2. That video is hilarious and horrifying, all at the same time! (And the little girl is adorable.) Now I feel old. But I guess you can wallow in it, or get online and try and figure out the technology you need in order to relate. I haven’t tried giveaways yet, but would like to some day. Right now I’m trying to figure out G+ (most followers) and my true love is Pinterest (most fun).
    Meredith Wouters recently posted…Children, Naps, and the Three States of MatterMy Profile

  3. Hi Arleen,
    I found you via The Blog Zone on in. You’ve done a great job detailing how times have changed. The children in the video attest to that 🙂 Many young people today are sharing their pictures on Instagram, and if you’re looking to capture that market, that is where you need to be to get noticed.

    It will certainly be interesting, as we grow older, to find out how technology and social media sharing evolves with the new generations.

    Kind Regards,
    Bill
    William Butler recently posted…Taboos, Tattoos and Other Labels That StickMy Profile

  4. Lightning speed…. take your breath away fast. FaceBook is still good for me, but it has a lot fo groups that focus on writers and books. Twitter, not so much but that’s on me. I need to get up to speed but Google+ seems to be on the upswing for everybody. At this point, I’m not sure that I’ll get ahead…just happy to stay abreast or even a tad bit behind 🙂
    Jacqueline Gum (Jacquie) recently posted…The Sisterhood… WHERE’S THE JUSTICE?My Profile

  5. Great post Arleen, I laughed through the video, especially at Darth Vader. It’s difficult to believe how much things have changed in what seems like a relatively short period of time. Although the changes can seem profound, I still think there are some useful elements to doing some things the old fashioned way. Having lunch or dinner with someone at the start of a relationship is still more effective for building long term relations than Skype.

    As it happens, I’m in full research mode right now looking at what technology can bring to the table for my organization, so your post is timely. I’m curious to see what others have to share as well.
    Debra Yearwood recently posted…5 Ways To Be Strategic, In Spite of DataMy Profile

    • Debra- Even I know who Darth Vader is and I am no chicken.. Who would have thought that a stereo, radio, recorder, computer, head phones would fit into your pocket. I totally agree with you that it is refreshing to see relationships with business partners done the old fashion way. When you have face to face interaction you have a better understanding of where that person is coming from, if not through the discussion, through body language. With that said we still need to keep up with the new technology
      Arleen recently posted…Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our YouthMy Profile

  6. It reminds me of conversations with my granddaughters who are ATTACHED at the fingers to their iPads. For me, here is the valuable point: there will always be customer interaction in person or voice to voice. I suppose if my target audience were say, millenials, I would text more. But most of the people I want to connect with use email and oh – a telephone. Not necessarily a cell phone, but a telephone. Wonder if the kids in the video know what that is?

    Carry me back to ole Virginia.
    Patricia Weber recently posted…Contest for 8 Best Blog Posts about Hashtagify #Hashtag SecretsMy Profile

  7. The iPad giveaway I did with a few fellow bloggers ended up in new followers, but MailChimp reports show most of them have not converted to engaged readers. Live and learn. FB is ingrained into my daily activities, but I need to devote more time to G+. Mostly, I don’t try to over-do it because it’s not where I need to be spending my time right now. The video you’ve paired with your posts is priceless.
    Jeri recently posted…How to Develop Writing Discipline #WriteTipMy Profile

  8. Perfect article to show how fast technology is moving and nothing is private anymore. So much new stuff to learn and get familiar with. I love facebook as its a perfect place to share my recipes. I do share them on Twitter and Google Plus but I get the most response from FB.

  9. Love the video, Arleen!! Am amazed every time I’m with my 10 and 12 year old nephews and how they use their iPads. But they actually know who Dart Vader is. Maybe Star Wars is more popular over here?

    Sometimes work with university students that excel at developing apps and everything technical. One of them just moved to Dublin to start working for Google’s European headquarters.

    A really odd thing about them is that they post everything about an ideathey have, that I think they should keep to themselves, online. Asked them why? The answer was that they are so confident that nobody will do the app, or whatever it is, better than they do.
    Catarina recently posted…Have you ever gone straight from success to failure?My Profile

    • Catarina- I think posting everything is not a good idea. Even though you think no one can do it better, there is always someone out there who can. They may tweak it so it not the same but to be naive that your app can’t be matched is setting oneself up for failure. People steal things everyday off of the internet.
      I remembered when I was a child and my father would says, one day you will be able to see the person talking on the phone with you, we all thought he was nuts. Well I guess he wasn’t, with technology on the move. Thank you for stopping by.
      Arleen recently posted…Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our YouthMy Profile

  10. Hi Arleen,

    That video just made me laugh so hard! We’ve come a long way baby….
    Technology is a fast growing place and we need to keep up with it weather we like it or not. My 83 year old mom has a Facebook account to see her great-grandchildren.

    As for business, Social media is the cornerstone for me. Yes, there is that time factor, but as long as I am organized and follow my strict schedule I set up for myself, I can handle it well.

    My newest toy I love is Facetime on my IPhone. When a new customer comes in the fold, I can easily chat with them wherever I am if they have the same app. But I’m finding that most do. Sure beats the heck out of Skype these days.

    Thanks so much for that video because it brightened up my day!

    -Donna
    donna merrill recently posted…Blogging for MarketersMy Profile

  11. Communications technology is moving so fast that there is an ever widening divide among generations. For example, I and my great-grandparents knew how to use a land line telephone, but I can’t imagine the divide between my telecommunications experience and that of my as yet unborn grandchildren. In the early 1990’s, I told my then law partner that I didn’t think we needed to have our own office fax machine. I obviously had my finger on the pulse of cutting edge technology 😉
    Suzanne Fluhr recently posted…The Hawaii Chocolate Festival – Educational and Yum!My Profile

  12. Hi Arleen,

    You are so right about this one. I agree with youthat Gen X and Gen Y spend the majority of their time online. Whether it’s on a desktop computer, mobile device, tablet, etc. There is a disconnect. Me personally, I embrace the best of both worlds. I still like to talk on the phone or hang out every now and then but sometimes you still need to embrace the human element of calling someone up and talking on the phone versus having a long conversation over text or Facebook.

    As technology starts to mature, I’m sure there will be a bigger disconnect, but at the same time I feel that it’s important that the younger generation should know about human connections are not made over technology!
    Nate Leung recently posted…What Entrepreneurs And Monopoly Have In CommonMy Profile

  13. Arleen — that video made me feel even older! After all, I can remember using a manual typewriter. I also check out Yelp or Google for restaurant reviews. I won’t go to a restaurant with bad reviews. I recently helped a friend update her LinkedIn profile and include key words. That was last week. She’s already been contacted by two recruiters. You can’t be in business without being on social media. It’s that important because that’s the first place check nowadays to learn about you and/or your company.
    Jeannette Paladino recently posted…Why Google+ Has Become More Essential Than EverMy Profile

    • Jeannette- I had forgotten the manual typewriter. I sold real estate for 25 years and the realtor was one who knew what was on the market. Today buyers scour the internet for listings and then bring it to the realtor. With virtual tours investors can buy without ever seeing the property. A realtor is just an example, the need to use social media is what is going to make or break you. A good example is what you did for your friend of how social media can really work for you.
      Arleen recently posted…Using Technology to Promote Your Business and How it is Influenced by Our YouthMy Profile

  14. Hi Arleen

    I so loved the video. It made me think of my granddaughter when she was 3 she was playing with my ipod which is one of the originals. In two seconds she said “Nana not touch!” in the most disgusted voice.

    She asked us for an ipad for Christmas. She is 5 now!

    Yes so much has changed in our lifetime. And yes technology and social media have changed the way we live and the way we do business.

    Thanks for a great post.

    Sue
    Sue Price recently posted…Good Books to Read : Part 2My Profile

  15. I always say that I was born in the perfect era because life was so much simpler then. The kids of this generation Arleen were born with computers in their hands. Okay, now it’s mobile devices and boy can they ever use them. Their attention spans are short so you’ve got to grab them now or you’re screwed.

    I even look at technology now and think to myself that I never imagined some of the stuff they have now but I knew it was coming. It’s only going to get more and more sophisticated too as time goes by.

    If we don’t stay up on things then we’re just going to continuously be behind and we definitely can’t have that if we’re running a business.

    I just hope I can keep up! LOL!!! By the way, darn cute video.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne recently posted…Thankful Thursday: 403 Pages, Triberr, WP Plugins, Branding, InterviewMy Profile

  16. I had a bit of a chuckle when reading about selecting a restaurant – I did exactly that just yesterday. If there wasn’t a website, they do not get on the list. And, yes, I use paper directories as a booster seat!
    As I am housebound quite often, I can only promote my blog via social media. I suck at it, but need to get better to attract more views to my page. I really don’t want to but you have to move with the times 🙂
    Becc recently posted…Decisions, Decisions, DecisionsMy Profile

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