July 2010 Linkedin Poll: What do you think is the next big thing for Social Media?
For July 2010, I thought it was appropriate to create this Linkedin Poll. It’s anyone’s guess as to the future of Social Media…or is it? I’ve heard in some social circles that as Social Media becomes more and more mainstream, it will be difficult NOT to have some form of Social Media at your side at all times. Others have said the complete opposite, that Social Media will morph into something else completely different. Of course you’ll always have dinosaur-like nay-sayers with tiny Tyrannosaurus Rex arms that say Social Media isn’t important and will fade away.
From what I’ve seen transpire on the web over the last year and a half, has been nothing short of unbelievable. The amount of businesses now that have a twitter or facebook like button has exponentially grown. How people can downplay or hate on Social Media is beyond my comprehension. The truly amazing thing about Social Media is that for the first time in history a business can start with next to nothing and immediately be in touch with their customers. I am constantly looking on the Internet for new forms of Social Media and Social Networking sites. A really great site to use as a reference is: Mashable
Bottom line is that Social Media is here to stay. Whether or not it will morph into something even more ubiquitous remains to be seen. So if you happen to be on Linkedin, take the Poll and let me know what you think. Or leave a comment here. Either way, let’s talk about what is possible.
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Internet Marketing Consulting: Knowing when you have the right ingredients for Internet success.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I have written my last post. I’ve been so incredibly busy with work and planning for meetings for meetings on proposals…blah, blah, blah. I’ve been thinking for some time about what to write about on this post. Should I write about yet another Live Chat software development? Should I write about yet another blog post of the importance of Social Media, with emphasis on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? Or should I write about something bigger, yet more focused on how I can help others? Each idea I kept coming up with, made me think of something else and then that lead me to something else. You get the picture…in other words…the ultimate villain of creativity: PROCRASTINATION.
Whenever I bump into friends or speak to people, they always ask me, “Hey Andrew…what do you do for a living?” I usually say, “Well…I do this, that, the other thing with Social Media. I write and create blogs about Live Chat and other website technologies…yada, yada, yada…” I talk about evolving small businesses into lean, mean fighting machines of commerce and service, but there has to be a way to succinctly put everything together without losing the message. That being said, I’m glad to say that I have come to an epiphany of some sorts with the help of a long time colleague and friend. I hadn’t spoken to him in some time and it was good to reconnect and catch up on basics, regarding our unique lives, careers, families, etc. During our conversation, it dawned upon me, from his perspectives and intuitive knowledge of just about everything that I knew about Internet Marketing that I had been looking at myself myopically.
I always think of others before I think of myself. I always try to help everyone I know with my experience and knowledge base. I’m always trying to think of a better way for others to become better at what they do. My problem was that I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture: Where do I fit into the picture? What is it that I am doing…and why? My friend told me that he thought my blog was a great place for me to share my knowledge and experience with others. That is just the surface of it all. I realized that I am not just an Account Executive at LiveChatAgent or a Social Media Consultant or any other piece of the puzzle. I was sum of their total. I am an Internet Marketing Consultant.
What does an Internet Marketing Consultant do, you may ask? Good question…
Well, a good way to think of it is like this: When you bake a cake you need all the right ingredients from the flour all the way to the icing. Internet Marketing is just like that. The difference is that, unlike grandma’s delicious marble babka cake that always used the same ingredients, mixed in the same manner time and time again, Internet Marketing’s recipe is constantly changing. You need to figure out the proper recipe for each client. Not every client is going to need an SEM campaign. Not every business is going to need a Live Chat agent based upon site traffic. Not every business is going to need a new site. Not every business could benefit from Social Media as much as others could. Etc…etc…etc…
An internet marketing consultant knows how pick and choose from a wide variety of tools and ingredients to bake just the right cake for internet success for a business. No two businesses are the same. The approach and follow through have to be organic and contoured to that business.
I already do what I love, which is helping businesses realize their true potential, but now with the bigger picture of adding all of the components of my experience, knowledge, connections and creativity in mind as well. I knew all the ingredients were in the kitchen. I knew what the finished cake would look, feel, smell, and taste like. I just needed a good timer to know WHEN to mix it all together or to put it simply, connect everything seamlessly and convey it succinctly. I’m proud of myself, knowing that I have always been a true maverick and it’s good to know that others out there see the same thing in me.
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