A recent article in BizReport shared the results of an ExactTarget and CoTweet study that found that many avid social media users are actually spending more time with their friends and colleagues offline even though they are also spending more time online.
According to the article by Helen Leggatt, "Over a quarter of those surveyed (27%) said they had spent more time with their fellow human beings, in person, despite also using Facebook more. Only 13% said their face-to-face time with friends had decreased. Likewise, of those who are using Twitter more, almost half (46%) hang out with their friends more often and only 7% do so less."
Like many, I have always shared concerns about whether social media will have a long-lasting negative impact on the social skills of future generations. However, these findings not only provide me with a muted sense of relief, but also reinforce what I've always believed is a strength of social media from a business standpoint: To bring people together both on and offline.
Smart organizations will integrate social media with their offline social initiatives such as learning events, advocacy and fundraising gatherings, or simple meet-ups. There are few communications platforms that can generate a call-to-action response faster than social media due to its reach and immediacy.
With businesses strategically adopting more socially conscious missions today, they can and should use their large social media networks for purposes beyond just product promotion. By supporting social causes both on and offline that are important to their stakeholders, companies can build greater goodwill with their constituents ultimately strengthening their corporate reputations.
Therefore, don't limit your social media strategies to the online world. To maximize their effectiveness, try to find ways to integrate them with offline and community based efforts as well.
