I've been doing Search Engine Optimization, Lead Generation and Web Development for Real Estate Agents, Attorneys and Small Businesses since 2004. I've watched as the knowledge level for SEO went from zero to 50%. I've seen the industries adapt to SEO, and I saw the gleam in their eye when they realized that getting to the top of Google would in fact put money in their pockets. I've seen Real Estate Agents go from the point of knowing nothing about SEO, to having them call me up and tell me precisely what they wanted me to do. It's been an interesting ride. Now today we have social media. It's here and everyone is swarming, wondering what to do with it. Lack of knowledge leaves some paralyzed. Many sales people are panicked, doing nothing, or trying a little of this and a little of that, hoping it will some how come together. Still others are a bit more reluctant to even put their big toe in the water. These types stay far away from the world of social media hoping their absence will make it all just go away, if this is you, beware. There are disasters to failing to embrace emerging technology, even for the small business owner. I've taken liberty to write a few scenarios you may have to face if you refuse to open the door and embrace the new abilities at your fingertips.
1. You could become obsolete.
Very few businesses are immune from the use of social media as a communication tool among customers, vendors and clients. Social media will be our main source of communicating within a few short years. Not knowing the rules of the game will make you seem like a dinosaur; someone who is out of touch, still trying to use fax long after email is the de facto standard. Without the ability to communicate, you will be passed over by your more versatile competitors.
2. You may come across as uncaring & lazy.
The essence of social media is communication and connection with your clients. Social media blurs the line between clients and friends. If you are not engaged in a network consisting of the individuals you serve, you may appear to be "too good" or "too lazy" to keep track of your customers and prospects using the tools you have available.
3. You could be left behind.
You probably already know that many things in life are learned by trial and error. If you fail to embrace the world of social media, you're failing to try, to make the mistakes, to experience the victories, to live and to learn. Refusing to learn the new skills needed to understand social media can leave you fumbling for answers in a few years when the whole world has gone social.
4. You won't get the benefit of having a head start.
Many people are afraid right now, in terror and dread of incorporating social media tasks and strategies into their daily business practices. This is a great time for the risk-taking entrepreneur and small business owner, who can rush in and experience success in the medium early-on, and be ahead of the pack on down the road.
5. You may be overlooked by consumers in the future.
People are looking for service providers who are hip, savvy and up-with-the-times. They are put-off by those who seem antiquated and low-tech. Even if you are a superior provider, with many credentials, you may be dismissed by many in your target market in lieu of hipper, more in-touch competitors. Not good.
6. You could lose business to lesser competitors in the future.
Even if your competitor is less of a Realtor than you, or Lawyer or other type of small business, he or she could win the business away from you in the future due to perception of appeal through the power of social proof through networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The ability to engage, interact and "show-off" to the marketplace on such sites is astounding. Social media leverages the playing field, giving newcomers more power than ever to appear to be much more adept and influential. Don't let the newbies of the future beat you out just because you did not embrace the tools that you had available.
7. Things are going to get more complex, not more simple.
We want to believe that things to do with technology will become simpler in the future, as opposed to more complex. While it's true that it will be easier to do things in the future due to the ease of technology, the skills needed to manage what's to come will require a greater degree of expertise and skill. You might as well jump in now and learn the ropes, rather than let a year or two go by and try to learn what you should have been learning all along. It's like being a high-school drop-out or skipping a few years of grade school. Catching up later will be near impossible, and if it happens that you do succeed by jumping in late, your success will come at the hard price of having to double learn what you missed, plus all that is new to know.
Conclusion
Social media is changing everything. Let's face it, it's here to stay. Learning to properly use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, failing to fully develop your personal brand and amass your target audience will keep you from important business opportunities in the future. Don't be a statistic. Roll-up-your-sleeves and get down to business. Tackle the giant before it tackles you. Talk to ya soon!
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