I know many of you are missing the boat when it comes to the tools now available to you. How do I know this? Because I hear the following statements:
"I don't understand social media."
"It doesn't apply to my industry."
"Nobody I am targeting spends time on social media."
"I don't have the time."
"It is too hard to generate content."
These commonly heard comments tell me you are unaware of the opportunities that are before you. They indicate you are missing the chance to harness the power at your fingertips. Finally, those statements say you are afraid to try something new.
So, what are you missing out on?
1. You can reach someone anywhere on the globe. I just watched this commercial that talked about this idea of a global economy, how an action taken in the states, has impacts on Hong Kong, Germany, and South Africa, to name a few.
You already know this, but still, that's pretty cool. You can publish a blog post, a podcast, and/or a video...and within minutes, people all over the world can view it, learn from it, and take action on it.
2. You can build tribes of followers, fans, and prospects much easier than ever before. And your tribe doesn't have to live in the same city. They can be a tight knit group, and live anywhere on the globe. And communicate easier too...
3. You can tell your company story faster and easier, than ever before. Before: you had to hand out brochures, and whomever got one, knew the story. Now: the BILLION+ people online can learn about you and your purpose and mission almost instantly.
4. You can make the search engines work for you! The more content you publish, the more people share links to your content on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+....the more Google recognizes you as an authority in your market...and sends inbound traffic to you.
5. Things can happen now in real time. Are you constantly fussin' about slow, long, painful sales cycles? Well, you can begin to chip away at that when you can both respond to customer inquiries in real time, and educate your market in real time. You can respond to the marketplace FASTER than ever.
Open your eyes my friend... The social webs and technology have changed the ballgame. Get on board soon, before your competitors figure it out and get the industry recognition that should be yours.
Drawing by Hugh Macleod