Baby Boomers Can Learn, Can’t They?

The biggest objections I hear to Facebook are the amount of time it takes to mine the conversations (feed), and the confusion over how Facebook can add value to a business. These objections are commonly coming from folks over 40. Baby boomers (like me) are set in their ways. We have become addicted to email. We built our careers gaining knowledge and sharing it with a select few. We protect our privacy and can’t imagine sharing our personal lives with thousands of strangers.

To gain a following on Facebook, Ning, MySpace or any other site you have to immerse yourself in it. Spend some time daily posting, responding, joining and creating. And if you’re thinking I just don’t have time! Well, think about how much time you spend on email. In many ways, Facebook is the new email. And baby boomers who need their email fix every few minutes are struggling to make the transition.

Today, to gain a following for your business, you must expose who you are and what makes you believable. You must interact with people you don’t know (even though we call them “friends”) and share information because that builds trust. Facebook and others make it easy to do all of these things while encouraging people to find out more, partner with you, and advocate for your business (by connecting to you, getting involved and spreading the word).

The Web-effect of information sharing with your friends, and they with their friends, and so on allows you to reach people quickly who you might not otherwise contact.

If the business you’re in has lots of competitors, then it’s a good idea to focus your groups, conversation, message to an idea or point-of-view that stands out from the pack and will draw people in. The only way to learn is to set up an account and get started. At a minimum, you’ll find people you haven’t talk to in years who are happy to get back in touch.

Best of all, it’s free.