First, we have to distinguish between social media, the concept, and social media platforms. For example: MySpace was extremely popular for a while, but it’s well and truly on the un-cool end of the scale now. Totally a fad. It came, it conquered, it disappeared off the radar. Social media – engaging online with consumers and users who are (interested in/critical of/have a passing acquaintance with) your product and adding value to their experience – isn’t a fad, though. It’s fine to think that a particular platform is somewhat faddish, and decide not to engage with that particular platform. Not engaging with social media as a concept though? Unless you’ve got good reason to, you’re missing out on an awful lot of opportunities to create relationships and engage with your consumers.

If you think that social media is a fad, despite the fact that your consumers are there (assuming they are there in sufficient numbers), then perhaps it’s because you actually consider yourself a little superior to them.* After all, your consumers are there in sufficient numbers – if it’s good enough for them, why shouldn’t it be good enough for you? If you dismiss social media as a fad, then you’re effectively dismissing your target demographic as having irrelevant tastes. And even if your demographic aren’t there, things change. This year’s 30-year-olds will be 50 in two decades, and if that’s your demographic and they keep their facebook/twitter/youtube accounts, wouldn’t you want to have at least thought about how you’d reach them?

Social media isn’t a fad. Sometimes, a social media platform will be a faddish flash in a pan, but the idea of connecting with one another? It’s as old as the hills, and it’s just moved to a new platform.

*This is completely me speculating – the sum total of my knowledge in psychology is how to persuade someone it’s not my round at the bar, really.