Tomorrow We'll Be Better
This quote by Google co-founder Sergey Brin says it all. "We knew that Google was going to get better every single day as we worked on it, and we knew that sooner or later, everyone was going to try it. So our feeling was that the later you tried it, the better it was for us because we'd make a better impression with better technology. We were never in a big hurry to get you to use it today. Tomorrow would be better."
This is not just how I feel about all of my social media marketing, but yours too. While I believe the content of my blog posts, as one example, have always been good, they are always getting better. When it comes to social media, we are all going to get better. We'll get better at writing, linking, and even search engine optimization.
The most important thing is that we are here!
No Fear
You cannot do anything well if you are afraid of your competition catching up to you. In the social media arena, that is unlikely to happen. If you are reading this post, you are in the minority of small businesses that are using social media. According to a study by the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, only 7% of small businesses are blogging. Those that are using social media, which is estimated at 14%, are mostly working with LinkedIn or Facebook.
Note: Be careful when you read that article. Several of us examined the stats through comments on a post at Mashable to discern that social media usage in small businesses is exactly what we have experienced in our work – very low indeed. You have to understand how the statistics are presented and crunch the numbers to get an accurate perspective. That big chart represents the 18% minority (89/500) who have actually taken the first step to try social media marketing.
Get Started Getting Better
You have to see that the train is leaving the station and now is the time to get on board to have the opportunity to get better. You can't expect to get better every day if you aren't working at it. That's the difference.
How do you get better? Study and work are the two main ingredients that have worked for me. This combination gives you the experience you need.
If you want to get ramped up quickly, there are those of us that can help you. Just be careful who you choose to work with. There are a lot of pretenders out there with a good knowledge of the social networks, yet virtually no business experience at all. You need both. Stroll through my Working With Me page and you will be better educated to make better choices.
As I've said many times, you can do this on your own. The information is out there on hundreds of quality blogs like this one. But you have to be willing to study it and work at getting better. The comforting thing is if you do that, you will develop the confidence of Sergey Brin.
You will be a fearless social media marketer.
Photo Credit: Claudiogennari
Yes, Jeff, like Google, like civilization (we always build on the past) and as Aristotle said, growth is all about “becoming.”
While it may never be too late to board the train, those who get on early usually end up with the best seats.
Thanks for your timely post. Now, I’ve got to go and Re-Tweet it.
John aka @GetResults, aka http://www.thesuccessionplanner.com.
John – I was a science major, so my endless hours in the lab didn’t leave much time for Aristotle. But it is a process of becoming, isn’t it.
These seats are pretty good. Maybe someday we’ll get frequent blogging and Twittering points too!
Jeff
Those who talk to themselves(bloggers)get clarity with their message and that’s the most valuable thing for the blogger It’s consciousness thinking about herself B
For small Business Social media is the right platform to go online
yup tomorrow we’ll be better
Craig – You see it. Yet, surprising how much resistance there still is. Have a great day.
Jeff
Bill – Great insight. I never thought about it that way.
Jeff
With PPC and SEO costs on the rise, social media offers an inexpensive marketing solution where clients can DIY and generate results.
I hear that.
And truthfully, in the long term, social media is going to be more effective. PPC just doesn’t make sense anymore (in my opinion).
Jeff
If there is a more effective and inexpensive way for a business to reach, interact with and learn from thousands of people without leaving your desk, I’m not aware of it. Any business, large or small, not learning about how to incorporate social media into their marketing mix right now, is making a big mistake. The learning curve is huge, so the sooner you get started the better.
i never understood perfecty this Google service… it seems so complex
Potenta – The array of Google services can be confusing. Start with getting a gmail address and then access the other Google services through your “Google Account.”
This previous post may help: http://bit.ly/ch1b3R
Jeff