Big Brother is definitely watching

The other day I was searching for a hotel for an upcoming event. I didn’t end up booking anything and eventually went to my Facebook page. Would you believe the first thing that popped up on my news feed was a sponsored ad featuring the hotel I had just researched? Is it my imagination, or are these companies getting faster and better at tracking my digital steps? Now, I am not so naïve to think I can outsmart these companies, but honestly, this seemed ridiculous.

After doing a bit of Internet searching (which was being tracked), I found out that Facebook launched Atlas in late September 2014 (McGarry 2014). Atlas helps ‘marketers reach real people across devices, platforms, and publishers’ (Atlas Solutions LLC 2015). I am being followed around no matter what device I am using, be it my laptop, smart phone, or iPad. It’s probably time for me to update my privacy settings on Facebook since my creepiness alert just went up one notch as I write this post.

Notice how I did not say that I would stop using Facebook? It is a part of my life now, just like breathing is. I get up, check my Facebook and get breakfast – just like millions of other people do every day. In fact, the average user checks their phone for emails and Facebook at 7:31am (Woollaston 2014). It is no wonder that Facebook knows so much about our lives since they are so integral to it from the moment we get out of bed (or while still in it).

What other ways are companies trying to get into our daily lives? Starbucks seems to have found the answer through its mobile app. Coffee is another one of those daily habits and those that drink it (not me, however) must have their daily fix. Starbucks reports that people are using their smartphones a whopping 7 million times per week for mobile payments, accounting for 16% of total transactions (Halzack 2015). Although this is very convenient for people to pay with their smartphones, it does mean that companies such as Starbucks can track our spending and consumption patterns a lot more closely now.

So don’t be surprised when you start getting messages from your local Starbucks telling you they will have your usual order of double expresso macchiato waiting for you at precisely 8:13am. Better stop reading Facebook messages and get ready!

Sources:

http://atlassolutions.com/2014/09/29/meet-the-new-atlas/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2688339/how-facebook-s-new-ad-platform-lets-brands-track-you-around-the-web.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/block-companies-tracking-you-on-facebook-2014-1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2783677/How-YOU-look-phone-The-average-user-picks-device-1-500-times-day.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/01/23/starbucks-has-managed-to-get-you-addicted-to-its-coffee-and-its-app/

Cut it Out!

How many times have you been directed to a company’s website and been sadly disappointed? This has happened to me on many occasion and I am always struck at how little time a small business spends on creating their website. A website is the digital storefront. This is the place where potential customers see, for the very first time, a company’s image. To go to a website where links do not work or are outdated, pages are under construction, or it is hard to find the contact information just speaks volumes to me about their physical store.

Think of your website as the place where customers get answers. What do they want to know? It is not to learn about the history of the store or to find out the reason why you started the business. This is all fluff and useless to the customer. 

According to Statistic Brain (2014), the average attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds. In 2013, it was 8 seconds. This means we are 33% more impatient! In addition, the study found that the percentage of words read on an average web page is 28%. So remember this. Look at your website and cut out 33% of your content (or more). People scan for the information they want and ignore the rest. I bet you stopped reading before you even got to this sentence!

Would a small business open their store with only half their renovations done, half their inventory in place, and half their staff trained? I do not think so. They need to think of the whole business, including the digital platforms. Get the website done properly, get it done first, get it done professionally, and cut out the fat. Be ruthless. Then start to think about the rest of the social media strategy.

Source:

http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

When to stay away from Facebook

I have a brother who is a doctor that treats patients with naloxone, which is a drug used to combat against opioids. It is also used as a treatment against drug overdoses. Naloxone kits have been distributed to people at risk of opioid overdose and they have been trained to administer this anti-opioid. My brother’s practice has grown by leaps and bounds since the day he started treating patients with this medication. It has grown because, sadly, there is a great need for his services.

Most businesses need to include social media as part of their marketing strategy because they want to increase their exposure and attract new business. It is a way to listen and get a pulse of what is happening in their particular industry. In addition, it provides another avenue for their customers’ voices to be heard.

In my brother’s case, he does not need help in attracting clients because of the nature of his ‘business’. He does not need to draw attention to his line of work simply because there are some strong opinions out there and it would make his job harder to do.

A Facebook page would be detrimental for his patients; even if was only to provide information and even if it were to a closed group. If he had a Facebook page, the mere fact they ‘like’ it may not sit well with their employers and it could be used against them. There are some businesses that simply do not need to be on social media, and his is one of them.

What is posted online stays forever, no matter if it is deleted. It sits somewhere in the digital world and that means it can be accessed. Let’s say someone posted a photo and another person merely ‘liked’ it. Just by ‘liking’ the photo could have severe ramifications. Just ask Ryan Millet, the whistleblower in the Dalhousie University dental school scandal. According to The Toronto Sun, he was suspended merely for ‘liking’ a (tasteless) photo.

The point is, although social media is all the rage and for most businesses, it is inconceivable not to have some sort of presence, there is always an exception to the rule. Organizations dealing with sensitive issues, such as mental health and addiction, may want to look at other means of connecting with their clients in order to avoid subjecting them to further social stigma.

Sources:

http://www.drugs.com/pro/naloxone.html

http://www.healthunit.com/news/new-program-aims-to-prevent-overdose-deaths-in-london

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/01/21/dalhousie-whistleblower-in-facebook-scandal-unfairly-suspended-lawyers