An article from Fast Company confirms what we've said all along: advertising peeps are not, in fact normal.
We all knew this of course, but someone has finally run the numbers to prove it. Our favorite stat is that 70% of ad peeps knew about BK's "subservient chicken" campaign, vs. 8% of non-ad peeps. We know what you're thinking. We were surprised to see it as low as 70%. too.
Ever find yourself frustrated why one friend will text everything, not even picking up the phone when it's in her face, and another friend will only write you back over email? Even your closest friends you thought you knew so well can completely baffle you with their mobile habits.
Over the past few months, we have developed a foolproof system for figuring out what kind of device that person on the other end is using to call/text/email you.
So, whatcha talkin' on, Willis?
Texts and email errors have you worried they have a substance abuse problem (iPhone)
Their texts have often been mistaken for a novel (Droid)
They email or text videos and pictures more than actual words (iPhone)
Even a call or text is returned with an email (Blackberry)
They tell their friends, mother and doorman about their phone (iPhone)
and finally....
Their voicemail asks people to leave a return number (land line dinosaur)
Recently, a friend of ours had a baby and posted the news on Facebook. Well, technically his wife had the baby but that's besides the point. What was notable about this announcement was not so much the post itself but rather the conspicuous lack of "announcement" email that went out. Think about that. It was so quickly assumed that Facebook would be sufficient, they didn't even send an email. Their parents, friends, family, almost all got it.
But a couple of friends who aren't on Facebook were out of the loop and had to find out through the cool people on Facebook others.
So this leads us to ask: has Facebook become so mainstream that it's socially acceptable to assume people will read what you write on your status? What would Emily Post say?
Of course, this begs the larger question of what would Miss Manners say about social media in general? Is it now assumed that we're keeping up with everyone's status on our network? What if we're friends with hundreds of people? What about the friend who posts daily on how many tissues they used that day? Or the coworker who constantly has something stuck in their teeth?* Do we have to keep up with all of that? Are we really expected to know what Aunt Ida ate for dessert every day?
And while we're at it, let's consider social media in the professional realm, shall we? Before LinkedIn, it would be unthinkable to not reply to new business opportunities from headhunters and potential employers. But when these people try and "connect" with you, do they really expect you to add the to your profile for the world to see? If you don't, you're rude, but if you do accept all of these you end up with a profile that's comprised of all sorts of people you've never met (and who knows what you don't know about them) and what does that say about you when others look you up? That can't be good, right? It's analogous to logging into Facebook and seeing a friend request from your father. Nothing good can come of it.
We did find this one video but it's so...you know, 2009. It's all different now.
The only thing we know for sure about social media etiquette is that it's not polite to read these posts and not pass them along. We're just saying. And while you're at it, if you or someone you know or someone in your network or someone in your friend or coworker's network happens to be friends with Emily Post on Facebook, could you give her a little poke and ask her what the etiquette is for this whole social media thing is? That'd be swell.
*These are all fictitious examples to make a point, peeps. We're not stupid enough to use actual examples from our network. After all, wouldn't want to risk being a social pariah.
