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I know business people who still believe that social media is a fad.
And while Facebook will probably disappear someday, I don’t think it will happen anytime soon. Just because something might only be around for a short while, that’s no reason to not try it. Do we only try things that we think will stand the test of time and be here forever? And while platforms come and go, the social aspect of the web is here to stay. In fact, I think it is going to become the dominant part of our online experience, as everything we do online will have some element of social.
There was a time when I used to speak to parent and teacher groups and would proclaim something along the lines of:
MySpace is king. No one is going to touch it.
Yup. I was wrong. In fact, there was a time when I discounted Twitter and didn’t think it was going anywhere. And now it’s my favorite social platform.
I don’t mind being wrong, and I don’t mind admitting it. Some of the biggest names in the tech and social world proclaimed how wonderful and game-changing Google’s Buzz and Wave were. And yet…where are they now?
Any time a new platform comes out, or some new technology bursts onto the scene, whether it’s hardware or software, we rush to judgement. We spend a little time there and we make proclamations as to whether or not it will have legs, or if in fact it really is a game changer. We discuss whether it is a Facebook or Twitter killer. And some of us will be right, while others are wrong.
Look at audio recording media: wax cylinders, wire recorders, transcription discs, magnetic reel tape, cassette tape, 8-tracks, vinyl LPs and 45′s (and 78′s), CDs, and DATs. (if you’re not sure what some of these are, just Google them…there’s an interesting history in there).
Now we’re in a world of almost completely digital recording.
Then what about video? Remember the Beta/VHS wars? Remember how VHS won? Well, where is it now?
What we have online now is what we have. You either take advantage of what’s available, or you don’t.You have to make that choice for yourself, based on your weighing of the evidence.
The one thing you most likely shouldn’t do is wait.
“Oh, I think something better is on the horizon. I’ll wait until that arrives.”
Fact: There is always something better on the horizon. Whether it’s the next version of the iPad, or the next iteration of the smartphone, or a more robust blogging platform. There is always something that will be “new and improved”. And in the technology world, that happens pretty fast.
When it comes to communications technology, communications is communications. But we need to choose how we will communicate with others
When a business owner says:
“I’ll get to it someday”
What I hear is:
“I’ll probably never get around to it”
I’ve never heard a band say, “We’re not going to record an album now, because we’re gonna wait until some better recording technology comes out.”
No, your business exists in the here and now, so why not use at least some of what is available to you in the here and now?
Have you been putting off using some form of social media because you think it’s a fad? Or is it merely on the back burner so you can get to it “someday”?
Related articles
- 5 Tips to Find Your Best Audience on Social Media Platforms (waxingunlyrical.com)
- Nine Reasons Your Social Media Efforts are Missing the Mark (allisondevelopmentgroup.com)
- A Crisis of Social Media Crises: Don’t Be Stupid (inklingmedia.net)
- It’s a Sign! Social Media and the Art of Awareness and Gentle Reminders (inklingmedia.net)
- Don’t Be Afraid to Fail (spinsucks.com)
[...] are a number of businesses that are still not embracing social media. They say things like, “We’ll get to it someday,” while others are simply skeptical of the emerging technology. But, if I had to choose one [...]