Attitudinal Or Generational?

Last week while sitting on the panel discussion, It’s In Their Hands: The Impact of Changing Consumer Trends and User Generated Media on the Communicator’s Role, at the New Media For Communications conference put on by the Canadian Institute, one of the attendees asked a question of the panel. It was a middle-aged woman who is a professional in communications for a large multi-national. After two days of running through Social Media, Blogs, Podcasting, etc… she asked, “is this an age thing?” As if only kids and people in their twenties care about Social Media.
I simply answered, “it’s attitudinal not generational.” Maybe that’s an over simplification, but earlier that morning I got an email from my Mother, who was vacationing, and it read: “Good morning, Have been following your Blog and it looks like you are having a great time in TO…” I then managed to score some time with my Brother (who is in his early thirties). I asked him if he had seen the pictures of our nephew from out West, to which he replied, “I haven’t checked my email in a couple of days.”
Being interested in Social Media is indicative of attitude (and interest) versus which generation you’re from.
So how do you change your marketing attitude? First off, it has be something that interests you. Those that have a passion for marketing will be interested in what the latest and greatest is, so that they can grow, learn and be more effective at what they love to do. Those that have a marketing “job” (which is not necessarily work they love or were meant to do), will always struggle with change and advancement.
If I’ve seen one thing in all of these new marketing channels, it is how simple, fun and accessible they are. You don’t need a biophysics degree to get hooked on Google Reader or tripped out on LinkedIn. You do need a passion and desire to grow and a wanting to understand how people are connecting in a fully-connected online world.
That has nothing to do with your age. It does, however, have everything to do with your attitude and interest in social media and new marketing channels.