Betty White on Facebook, Phonebooks, & Poking

The power of social media made itself known again Saturday night. The Facebook masses spoke and they wanted 88 year old Betty White to host SNL. The SNL staff succumbed to the viral request and a few weeks later it was, “Live from New York”…it’s Betty White!

Betty jokingly acknowledged the social support in her monologue:

“I really have to thank Facebook … I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time. I would never say the people on it are losers, but that’s only because I’m polite.”

Although Facebook is viewed as a waste of time by many, the mere fact that Ms. White was onstage taking shots at Facebook testifies to its significance. This situation gives us 3 quick lessons we can learn about social media:

1. Social Media allows us to listen to our customers: The people spoke and SNL wisely listened. If your business participates in the social realm, you too should be listening. As business owners, we must always remember – no one knows what our customers want more than our customers.
2. A Band of Brothers: Facebook provided the platform for millions of people to temporarily join together for a cause. Much like the Team Coco images we saw a few weeks ago, supporting Conan O’Brian, there is a significance behind this surge. How can this type of connection be used to support your case? Your cause?
3. The Pressure from Peers: I have not yet seen ratings for last night’s broadcast, but I would assume they are well above average. The reason? I might suggest peer recommendations. The same army of Facebook folks that digitally lifted Ms. White to SNL stardom, most certain discussed the upcoming episode in their digital content, shared among their friends. Having a respected friend describe their excitement of the upcoming event is certainly more likely to invoke your attention, than any traditional ad might. I know this occurrence took place in our house, and I would assume many others also.