social media posts

Guess what? So Facebook isn't the be-all and end-all communications tool, after all. The good old telephone, even if some of its mobile incarnations, is still winning the battle for consumers' hearts and souls.

As the internationally known British marketing research company, Intersperience, found, we have come to view young consumers as "self-contained Facebook addicts who only communicate by text." If this were true, it should be very easy for companies to reach them with a few clever viral campaigns and self-service customer help desks – so why isn't it?

Do you still trust social media? Are you still using them?

If you have no problem with others knowing intimate details of your life, and not only those facts that you have chosen to put on your pages, fine. But what if you are of the opinion that your credit card number, plus details of access to your bank accounts should be exclusively yours and nobody else's? Real-life stories confirm what many have suspected all along: social media networks are sieves. Some more than others, but all of them are.

Here's a real-life story that should scare the heck out of all Facebook users.

My heart goes out to the thousands of people affected last month by the tornadoes which hit with a fury through several states in the United States.

With the death toll now over 40, its a reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

And its also amazing to see how the survivors and fellow citizens have banded together.

But for those who didn't have insurance or very little savings in the wake of a disaster, charity organizations will be happily aiding those in need.

But are you sure your donation will get to those in need? Whether its $10 or $100, make sure the money gets into right hands.

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I remember my first week of post-secondary education and my trepidation about being on an unfamiliar school grounds, surrounded by strangers and hoping to not be late for my first class.

It was an odd sensation to not be compelled to be at school, other than your own decision to be there.

There wasn't a school secretary or homeroom teacher who was taking attendance as you arrived at school. No one was looking over my shoulder - well except my circle of friends.

And despite the lack of easily afforded cellular phones at that time, the same belief for all students still stands from all those years ago - its about being mobile and social.

Making it easy to communicate with friends and family is even easier in the 21st century, thanks to many software options that are free.

Microsoft Canada conducted a survey with university students, asking them what was their major concerns as they made the transition from highschool to college.

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Whether its a business trip or a week-long vacation, its becoming rare for many of us to walk in the doors of a travel agency and work with a travel agent.

According to a recent survey by Swedish travel website Tripl, social media is rapidly changing the way we view travel. Tripl's Social Travel Revolution analyzed how travelers using Facebook and Twitter, as well as how access to the internet is changing.

The numbers reveal that we're all getting more connected, checking our fave social media sites and more than likely to do it from a mobile phone than any other electronic accessory. According to Tripl, 72 per cent of us access social media daily when we're traveling.

But does that preclude expert advice?

Emily Post may have taught your grandmother that the salad fork goes on the left, or that "May I present" is better than "May I introduce" when it comes to formal introductions, but recent headlines seem to indicate there's a whole new list of etiquette rules that need to be applied to social media in the digital age.

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried probably could've used such a thing before he made that fateful decision to tweet jokes like, "Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach, the beach comes to them." after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Whether you thought his jokes were funny and just Gilbert being Gilbert or they were too soon and grossly insensitive, there's no question they cost him what was a lucrative and high-profile position as the Aflac spokes-duck.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has decided to embrace several social media outlets, paying special attention to Twitter and YouTube.

Why? Simple. While it's accepted that older people make more financial decisions, and it's usually the more momentous decisions that have more impact on their families, it is also obvious that most people who are coming into the age where they would have to make their own calls aren't really knowledgeable enough to act responsibly.

As a financial type, I shouldn't admit this, but March is my least favourite time of year. RRSP season is barely behind me, and now I have to think about taxes? Wonderful.

I know I'm not alone, so it's no surprise that Canadians are looking for plenty of financial information at this time of year. And according to new research by Investors Group, who surveyed more than 1,000 Canadians who save and invest, many of us are finding the information we need online through financial websites, blogs and social media.

"We conducted this survey because advisors keep hearing [from clients] that their information is coming from the Web," says Christine Van Cauwenberghe, Director, Tax and Estate Planning at Investors Group. "Lots of people send all sorts of information through blogs or on Twitter or LinkedIn."

Online Sources More Credible?
The survey shows 42 percent of us now use online sources and social media to find information to help us make financial decisions. And 38 percent believe online sources of financial information are more credible than family and friends (30 per cent) or traditional TV, radio and print media (29 per cent). However, 66 percent still rely on experts when making the final financial decision.

Ever wonder what will be the influencers for new products? What will start popping up on store shelves? Retailers do their research to make sure what they debut each week will be a lure for consumers to keep spending, thanks to their teams of marketing and branding execs.

Trendwatching.com is a group of independent researchers who use trend spotters from around the world to see what's going on in consumer land. More than 160,000 businesses are tracking consumers via Trendwatching.com, as consumer spending is often influenced by trends such as wealth, urbanization, generosity and opinion.

As the end of the year comes upon us, so do all those top 10 lists. One that always intrigues me is consumer spending trends - why are we buying? What are we buying? What makes us buy some new product?

According to Trend Hunter, a website devoted to the latest and greatest influencers, consumers were just as obsessed about ecotrends as they were about social media and how to make their lives more luxe.

The top ten trends for 2010 were:

10. Exposed Vulnerabilty - Social media has redefined our access to the personal lives of icons, celebrities and friends. Taking this to the next level of reality, we're seeing everything from tweeting during childbirth to stars exposing un-photoshopped pictures and embarrassing moments.

9. Emotionology - Humans aren't the only ones with feelings; emotion-sensitive jewelry, playlists and phones are manifesting your mood physically. Scientists and techies alike are exploring the world of emotion and how it can be applied to technology.

8. Simpletising - Fruit-inspired packaging, milk boxes with udders and phonetic alcohol... In a cluttered world, visual clarity actually stands out. It also fits well with a desire to pursue lives of of simplicity.