Facebook/Twitter/Google

[padejash]

Moderators: Please feel free to move this if required.

I notice that more suppliers are posting updates and status checks on the social media websites and nothing on their own websites. I know I am not alone in refusing to use the social media networks. Don't misunderstand, I used them when I had a business and eventually gave up due to many, many difficulties.

My family and friends are all in the, let's say 50+ age group, and no one I know has even the slightest interest in the social media fad. My question is to the suppliers: What about us? I'm sure there are more of us using e-cigarettes who do not like the social media, but I am starting to feel left out of updates, sales and other deals because I don't twitter or tell everyone my life story.

Sorry for the rant, but I received an email saying my order will be delayed and I should log on to Facebook to check on it. Why can't I check my account? Why does the rest of the world have to know my business?

What do you think?

 

[Chiku]

I agree, I'm 32 and I don't do twitter, Facebook, google+. I can't see the appeal. The logical place for information about a supplier is their website. I can't believe they said to log into fb to see why your order is delayed.

 

[horton]

Thank you so much Padejash for this thread. I find social media to be very intrusive, egocentric, silly (I don't care what you currently are eating) and refuse to use any it. I too have been very frustrated and irritated with vendors who say "go to FB or Twitter for the latest coupon code or sale". That's bunk far as I'm concerned. Why not use their own site to advertise? Or even better, get in line for a forum on ECF. I've always wondered if those social sites have some kind of kickback deal with people who manage to bring in thousands of users......

 

[wacdenney]

I think Facebook is way past fad. Just because you have a Facebook account to keep up with a vendor doesn't necessarily mean you have to check it every day to see what someone is eating, nor does it mean you are required to share your meals.

If you just have some sortof moral objection or something like that then just call your vendor. Any reputable vendor should have a contact phone number.

 

[barbee865]

I love Facebook and Twitter. As a business it's invaluable. You can post something to your Facebook page and have it show up to anyone viewing the site instantly. People are checking facebook constantly. If you post it to your site you have to wait for that customer to check your site, which they may only do once a week or so. It just works better than a traditional website for marketing.

 

[EddardinWinter]

I love Facebook and Twitter. As a business it's invaluable. You can post something to your Facebook page and have it show up to anyone viewing the site instantly. People are checking facebook constantly. If you post it to your site you have to wait for that customer to check your site, which they may only do once a week or so. It just works better than a traditional website for marketing.

I gotta agree with this sentiment. I resisted the FB thing for years. Now, I have given in to it. It is a great resource. If you like your privacy, just adjust your settings and put nothing on it other than the bare minimum information. The vendors are just cross promoting and trying to get you onto their page for likes, which is a great way to generate interest in your circles who will see your likes.

 

[bizmitchel]

thats one of them gray areas, of course the venders can post information to their site;however the word goes farther with thousands of people viewing it.I do feel however, that distributors should personally contact all individuals and notify them as to what is currently going on when it comes to their products.

 

[padejash]

I didn't mean this to be a for/against thread, I personally do not have a "moral" agenda, nor do I object to others using these tools. My concern is that more and more business, yes, including e-cigarettes are prefering to exist in the social media world, rather than the "Web" world. That is their choice of course, but I'm sure there are many people who do not wish to join this fad. Yes I said fad because it will be replaced by another fad sooner or later.

I just want to know if others feel that these changes are excluding a large portion of the population. There will always be new ideas and new technologies and I am a big supporter of this, but it doesn't mean I have to jump on the bandwagon because someone says so.

Sorry! I came from a generation where we were allowed an opinion and choice. LOL And if you believe that I have some swamp land to sell you.

 

[gthompson]

I won't do business with a vendor that uses that business model.

 

[SilentScreams]

I see your point. And I understand it. I hated social media for the longest time. I now use a facebook. Do I use it daily to tell people where I am or what I'm eating? No. I do occasionally make a post about something relevant as do the people I have friended on there. One thing I will say was nice is that I found family members across the world I never knew existed.

Also I can see the vendors point. It's easier to post a sale via facebook than it is to send an email to every registered customer. THis also helps to get new customers. It's all marketing.

Also I know quite a few people 45-80 that use facebook and other social media. My exfiances 75 year old grandmother loves posting every moment of her life on twitter for the world to see. She says it helps her show people that even at her age she can still do what needs to be done.

 

[gthompson]

It doesn't have anything to do with "hating" social media. It's a terribly confusing way to do business.

 

[Caridwen]

That's true.

 

[DC2]

I'm not doing Facebook and I'm not doing Twitter.

If that means I miss out on sales, then I miss out on sales.
If that means I miss out on when something is back in stock, then I'll be buying it somewhere else.

I guess at 47 years old I'm already a dinosaur.
And that's fine too.

 

[gthompson]

I don't mind if a vendor wants to have a facebook and/or twitter presence for their "fans", I'm sure that's fun and all that for people that enjoy that sort of thing, but I'm a customer, not a fan, and I expect to be treated like a customer.

 

[akatina]

20 years ago people complained bitterly about sales notifications being emailed instead of physically mailed out. And about prices online being less than those found in brick and mortar stores. 15 years ago they complained about having to use coupon codes to get sales pricing. 10 years ago it was having to make an account to be able to order.

Whether you like it or use it or approve of social media outreach as a business model, it is the model being used. The joy of capitalism is that you can chose to not do business with those organizations.

 

[gthompson]

"Social" media is not a business model.

 

[frosting]

I have not bothered with many a contest, chose one vendor over another, because of this issue. 2/3 of adults on the internet may be using FB, but it's in a vendor's best interest to remember the legacy that good ol Myspace reveals. Humans get bored. They want something new and shiny. Twitter, FB, will not be popular forever. Most people will however have some sort of e-mail for their business and where they do expect updates from businesses. Social networking sites=fad. E-mail= tool. This is their important difference and I like vendors who understand this. I understand these fads are important to try to get new customers. For each real customer almost every vendor has, they have their e-mail. I get updates from many vendors in my e-mail I've done business with so I can't imagine it's that difficult to notify a sale to your customer base through it.

I doubt our complaints here would change much, but I think plenty of people understand where you're coming from. I would be really ticked if I missed a sale for something I wanted because the vendor only notified it on FB.

 

[barbee865]

All i know is, as a business owner, if i put something on Facebook i get instant feedback. Put something on the website, Crickets!!! Not saying it's right, but it works. It's a cheaper and quicker way to reach your target customer base and stay in touch with people that are already customers.

People were calling television and the internet a FAD. good thing they weren't.

 

[J.R. Bob Dobbs]

social media today in a nutshell. (i personally hate facebook, twitter, yahoo aim etc.)

Come over to myspace & twitter my yahoo till I google all over your facebook.

 

[Sunshinefl8788]

There is nothing wrong with a vendor using social media as ONE source of reaching their customers, but any information that goes on facebook or twitter should also be available on their website. It is also ridiculous to have a vendor tell you, the only way to check the status of your order is by logging on to facebook (true story by the way) I use facebook, but I still found that very unprofessional!