South Jersey seniors using technology to stay in touch
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 4:00 AM
By Kristina Pritchett/Gloucester County Times Gloucester County Times
Shirley Gregoris from West Deptford smiles at as she looks at a picture on Facebook, of her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Staff Photo by Tim Hawk/Gloucester County Times
Staying in touch with family members is proving to be easier for most senior citizens in South Jersey.
Grandparents are able to stay connected anywhere in the world by using Facebook, Skype, text messaging and emailing.
“I have a Facebook, a Myspace and a Twitter,” said Joe Ali, a 77-year-old resident of Clementon. “But I mostly use Facebook.”
Ali, who has been on Facebook for about five years, uses the social media website to stay in contact with his four children and 10 grandchildren.
“It’s easier to use these technologies because my one son is always traveling and he can read and then respond to me when he has the time,” Ali said.
Ali and his family are very close and socialize very often, and using the social media site helped link the family together.
“Even though my grandchildren swear I’m a spy for their parents,” Ali joked. “I’d never get them in trouble though.”
The uses of technology allows family members who talked once a week to now have the ability to talk once a day.
Dolores Quenzel, 79, who lived in Woodbury for 65 years and now lives in Astaro, Fla., connects with family everyday through the Internet.
“Facebook is my life line,” Quenzel said. “I get to see things I normally would miss. I get to see prom preparations and eighth grade graduations.”
Quenzel, who has four grandchildren and three children, stays in contact everyday through the website and text messaging.
“My granddaughter and grandson taught me how to text and sometimes we talk more than once a day,” Quenzel said. “It’s great.”
Jennifer Regina, a marketing professor at Rowan University, believes that people go to Facebook for communication because it has an easy learning curve.
“Even senior citizens realize how quick it is to become proficient,” Regina said.
Regina added that Facebook allows them to discover friends, people that they would not be able to find without the website.
“Facebook searches through high schools, colleges and job profiles that make it easy to find people,” Regina said.
Regina said the fastest growing market is 50 plus on Facebook and that the ease of use will continue to make it a great tool to stay connected.
Besides using the social media sites, seniors are looking to email as a way to stay in touch.
Originally from the Vineland area, Mary Lou Freshcoln uses Facebook and emailing to keep in contact with family and friends.
Freshcoln, 78, checks her email and Facebook everyday.
“Sometimes I get up to 50 emails a day, all of which I try to answer,” Freshcoln said.
Frescholn uses the technologies to stay in contact with her six children and 14 grandchildren, and all but one use Facebook.
“I use these things everyday so that I can see how my friends and family are doing. I check up on their health,” Freshcoln said.
Emailing not only has allowed people to stay in touch, but to separate the professional from the personal.
Kathy Smith, a 62-year-old resident of Williamstown, has been using the computer for over 10 years and has accumulated five email accounts.
“I have one for Facebook, one for Myspace, I have a Yahoo account, I have Gmail account and I have a Verizon account,” Smith said.
Smith said the reason behind all the email accounts was to be able to keep everything separated from one another.
“I tried to have different emails for different people. And I added more accounts when we had Comcast then switched to Verizon. So I made the Yahoo account because it was easier than emailing everyone about the Verizon email.”
For a faster way to communicate with family, seniors look to their phones for text messaging.
“Oh I text all the time, I had to go to unlimited otherwise my phone bill would be through the roof,” said June Peterson, a 64-year-old resident of Ocean City.
Peterson finds text messaging a more convenient way to speak to family, friends and co-workers.
“It’s a lot easier to send a text then to call and leave a voicemail. Then you have to hope they listen to the voicemail. With a text message you have a higher chance of them seeing it,” Peterson said.
Peterson has two sons and two granddaughters that she stays in contact with everyday.
“With my sons, I text them everyday, and then when we want to Skype we text a time then we meet up on Skype.”
Peterson said she uses Skype at least once a week to talk to her son in California or to chat with her granddaughters.
Text messaging has allowed people to be more comfortable during a conversation.
Tina Poole Finocchairo, a 59-year-old resident of Swedesboro, would rather send a text message than talk on the phone.
“I’ve always had this natural thing where I’d rather send an email or text. Phone conversations were never really my thing.”
Finocchairo has two children that she constantly texts everyday. She also sends messages to friends and other family members.
“My niece spends a lot of time in the hospital, (so) texting is our primary source of communication,” Finocchairo said. “It’s just more simple this way.”
Regina adds that the trend of social media and the use of technology to communicate is popular due to the fact that there is a higher response rate.
“Senior citizens are always looking for ways to make their lives easier and still allow them to keep in touch with their family and friends,” Regina said.
With generations living further apart, technology has filled the gap to tie families together, Regina said.
“Skype, texting and social media all allow people to keep instantly engaged and updated in lives that otherwise they would be missing out on,” Regina said.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Social Studies Article in SJBiz Magazine
Social Studies
by Jessica Beym
You may be a pro at working a room, but working a chat room requires a whole different skill set. Here’s how to start making social media work for you.
Whether they’re announcing dinner specials, posting recent real estate listings, offering information about new products or answering customer questions, more and more businesses throughout South Jersey are connecting with their clients through social media.
And those who aren’t tuned in to the benefits of Facebook or Twitter need to update their status immediately, says Jennifer Regina, marketing professor at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business.
“The key part of social media is communication. That’s the ultimate goal,” says Regina, who’s also chief executive of The Marketing of Everything, a social media consulting company.
Businesses that are just starting out can use social sites to build brand awareness, promote their services and products, establish relationships, bill themselves as experts, and share news. Even minimal investments in social media can yield substantial results. Here’s what you need to know to get started on the road to social success.
Select Your Site
Many businesses elect to use some combination of social media sites, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. “Facebook has the biggest user base,” says Howard Yermish, a Burlington County-based Internet strategist and online marketing expert.
“Twitter isn’t for everyone,” he adds, noting that many people don’t understand how to connect with others on the microblogging network. Yermish likens Twitter to the ham radio networks of years past, where amateur users would broadcast messages to each other and tune in for specific conversations. Instead, on Twitter, users add the “#” symbol, known as a hashtag, to categorize a post under a given topic. This enables companies to latch onto trending topics, or even create a conversation surrounding their own business. This can allow the savvy to solicit ideas and opinions to help improve their products and services.
“Once you know how [Twitter] operates, you can do amazing things with it,” Yermish says.
Making Friends
Online contacts can include a mix of current clients and new prospects. If you’re just starting out, it may be helpful to offer incentives for new friends and those who recommend you, Regina says. She suggests business owners offer discounts to users who sign up.
As well, be sure to spread the word within your existing network. “The most important thing to remember when developing a business page is to suggest it to your friends,” Regina says. “Then, you want signage in your store saying, ‘Find us on Facebook.’”
Constant Contact
Once you’ve built up your friend count, it’s vital to keep the posts coming on a regular schedule.
Many companies create a Facebook page and post once a month or so, Regina notes. “That’s not enough,” she warns. “If you’re not in their news feed, they’re not seeing you. You need to be there so they click on your links.”
That’s just what Erin Kelley has been doing at the United Way of Camden County for the past two years on Facebook and Twitter. At least once a day they post something for their followers, whether it’s photos from a live event, links to articles about the United Way or news about upcoming initiatives. “We want to give people information they’re interested in and keep them informed about issues that are important in their lives and the investments they’re making through us,” Kelley says.
As a nonprofit, the United Way would normally need to set aside money for advertising efforts.
By contrast, Facebook is free. “And it’s fun. It’s not a huge e-mail you have to put together. Changing a status or sharing an article is a lot smaller of a job than to prepare a newsletter, and that’s how people want their information these days,” Kelley says. “Talking to my donors needs to happen all day every day, and Facebook is an easy way to do that.”
Building Relationships
The best social media users do more than just promote themselves to online friends; they build relationships. One example is the international gluten-free food company Schar, which is constructing U.S. headquarters in South Jersey. Schar frequently posts recipes for some of their latest products on Facebook.
When they held the groundbreaking for a new manufacturing facility in Pureland Industrial Park in Logan Township, they were quick to upload photos and video of the event. Many of their 5,000 Facebook friends commented back. They were excited to hear the news.
“Through Facebook, we can keep in touch with those customers who do not visit our website on a daily basis,” says Jasper Radeke, marketing communication associate for Schar USA, Inc. Since joining the network in July 2010, Schar has crafted plans to expand its online offerings, including posting videos on healthy gluten-free living ideas and offering advice for people recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
Most importantly, says Yermish, social media marketers need to focus on the quality of their interactions, not just the quantity. Twitter users should engage their followers, rather than limiting posts to promotional content. “To get people engaged, do what you would do at a networking event,” Yermish says. “Talk to people about things they find interesting. Ask questions people might comment on.”
And, be prepared to set aside the time required to respond to their comments and questions—turning the online interaction into a true conversation.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 1, Issue 5 (May, 2011
by Jessica Beym
You may be a pro at working a room, but working a chat room requires a whole different skill set. Here’s how to start making social media work for you.
Whether they’re announcing dinner specials, posting recent real estate listings, offering information about new products or answering customer questions, more and more businesses throughout South Jersey are connecting with their clients through social media.
And those who aren’t tuned in to the benefits of Facebook or Twitter need to update their status immediately, says Jennifer Regina, marketing professor at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business.
“The key part of social media is communication. That’s the ultimate goal,” says Regina, who’s also chief executive of The Marketing of Everything, a social media consulting company.
Businesses that are just starting out can use social sites to build brand awareness, promote their services and products, establish relationships, bill themselves as experts, and share news. Even minimal investments in social media can yield substantial results. Here’s what you need to know to get started on the road to social success.
Select Your Site
Many businesses elect to use some combination of social media sites, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. “Facebook has the biggest user base,” says Howard Yermish, a Burlington County-based Internet strategist and online marketing expert.
“Twitter isn’t for everyone,” he adds, noting that many people don’t understand how to connect with others on the microblogging network. Yermish likens Twitter to the ham radio networks of years past, where amateur users would broadcast messages to each other and tune in for specific conversations. Instead, on Twitter, users add the “#” symbol, known as a hashtag, to categorize a post under a given topic. This enables companies to latch onto trending topics, or even create a conversation surrounding their own business. This can allow the savvy to solicit ideas and opinions to help improve their products and services.
“Once you know how [Twitter] operates, you can do amazing things with it,” Yermish says.
Making Friends
Online contacts can include a mix of current clients and new prospects. If you’re just starting out, it may be helpful to offer incentives for new friends and those who recommend you, Regina says. She suggests business owners offer discounts to users who sign up.
As well, be sure to spread the word within your existing network. “The most important thing to remember when developing a business page is to suggest it to your friends,” Regina says. “Then, you want signage in your store saying, ‘Find us on Facebook.’”
Constant Contact
Once you’ve built up your friend count, it’s vital to keep the posts coming on a regular schedule.
Many companies create a Facebook page and post once a month or so, Regina notes. “That’s not enough,” she warns. “If you’re not in their news feed, they’re not seeing you. You need to be there so they click on your links.”
That’s just what Erin Kelley has been doing at the United Way of Camden County for the past two years on Facebook and Twitter. At least once a day they post something for their followers, whether it’s photos from a live event, links to articles about the United Way or news about upcoming initiatives. “We want to give people information they’re interested in and keep them informed about issues that are important in their lives and the investments they’re making through us,” Kelley says.
As a nonprofit, the United Way would normally need to set aside money for advertising efforts.
By contrast, Facebook is free. “And it’s fun. It’s not a huge e-mail you have to put together. Changing a status or sharing an article is a lot smaller of a job than to prepare a newsletter, and that’s how people want their information these days,” Kelley says. “Talking to my donors needs to happen all day every day, and Facebook is an easy way to do that.”
Building Relationships
The best social media users do more than just promote themselves to online friends; they build relationships. One example is the international gluten-free food company Schar, which is constructing U.S. headquarters in South Jersey. Schar frequently posts recipes for some of their latest products on Facebook.
When they held the groundbreaking for a new manufacturing facility in Pureland Industrial Park in Logan Township, they were quick to upload photos and video of the event. Many of their 5,000 Facebook friends commented back. They were excited to hear the news.
“Through Facebook, we can keep in touch with those customers who do not visit our website on a daily basis,” says Jasper Radeke, marketing communication associate for Schar USA, Inc. Since joining the network in July 2010, Schar has crafted plans to expand its online offerings, including posting videos on healthy gluten-free living ideas and offering advice for people recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
Most importantly, says Yermish, social media marketers need to focus on the quality of their interactions, not just the quantity. Twitter users should engage their followers, rather than limiting posts to promotional content. “To get people engaged, do what you would do at a networking event,” Yermish says. “Talk to people about things they find interesting. Ask questions people might comment on.”
And, be prepared to set aside the time required to respond to their comments and questions—turning the online interaction into a true conversation.
Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 1, Issue 5 (May, 2011
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