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Is Social Media a Fad?
- "Facebook is only useful for finding old classmates and catching up with friends", says one business leader.
- "My kids use MySpace to share music. I can't possible see how I can use it grow my business", says another.
- "Aren't blogs used to share with the world what you're eating, drinking or watching at this very moment?"
- "Only teenagers are listening to podcasts. I mean, I don't even own an iPod".
- "The dot com bubble burst in the late 1990s, so it's only a matter of time before the social media hype dies down".
- "Second Life to grow my business? Naw, it's just used by anti social twenty-somethings who use it to simulate sex". (thanks for this one Kate)
Social Media Is Helping Ordinary Business Leaders Experience Extraordinary Results
If my successes aren't enough to convince you that social media is not a fad, let me share some statistics with you:
- 48% of business leaders spend 2-5 hours a week using social media tools to generate leads and find new clients (Source: socialmediaiq.com)
- 42% of sales managers view blogs and podcasts as very important sales generating tools (Source: MarketingSherpa)
- Of the Top 8 most visited sites worldwide, 5 are social networking websites - MySpace, Facebook, Orkut, Live.com, YouTube (Source: eMarketer)
- The fastest growing demographic of social media users is those 25 years old and older (source: too many surveys to list here)
- Just under 49,000 people who use Second Life are earning a positive cash flow in the virtual world (source: Second Life)
If you're a business leader, you can't afford to dismiss social media any longer. Your customers are using Facebook, YouTube, wikis, blogs, podcasts and other social media tools to talk about your products and services. Ignoring this virtual conversation will result in being left behind.
Do You Hate the Technology Or Do You Feel Queasy About the Loss of Time, Privacy & Control?
We recently conducted a survey asking business leaders what concerns them the most about using social media as a business tool. The feedback was surprising.
"I don't understand it enough to use it. I need to have a thorough understanding to wrap my head around it all to use it properly. Also, finding the time to learn when there aren't enough hours already!"
"My concern is related to the seemingly never ending change in this medium. The options are overwhelming and an immeasurable amount of time is spent in determining what is most appropriate for your business and customers or clients. There's also the intimidation factor of technology in general and the vulnerability of it."
"I don't have enough time to adequately devote to learning all the different social media tools so they can positively impact my business in 2008."
"Privacy, and time wasted. All of these social networking services are like banks -- you have to check all of your information into them, and then they leverage that info for their gain. And while they have it, you've given up a lot of control over it. And then, if they disappear or drastically re-design their system, you could lose all of that data you put into the system."
Yes! You Can Use Social Media for Business AND Be In Control
You're a smart, savvy and sophisticated business person. You know your business well, but you don't have enough hours in the day to add yet another tool to your business.
We totally understand.
However, we challenge you to think bigger in 2008. Don't let your fears or concerns stop you from enjoying one of the easiest ways to get new clients, make money and become more visible in your niche.
But don't do this alone. Accelerate your success by allowing me the chance to guide you on this journey.
If we could show you how to use social media so you:
- Use your time wisely
- Protect your privacy
- Maintain control
- Shorten your learning curve
- And have loads of fun without doing anything technical
Plus, how to use social media to:
- Build your personal brand
- Make some money
- Generate new business
- Stay current without wasting time following every shiny object
- And create your ideal lifestyle by working less and playing more
Would that be of interest to you?
No surprise-we understand social media marketing. Cactus Sky has spent a dozen years keeping clients ahead of the curve.
- We maximize performance.
Integrate new and existing on- and offline marketing initiatives with expanding social media marketing opportunities.
- We build new online branding.
Reach audience segments and develop purchasing relationships through social media channels.
Podcasting:
Corporate podcasts can now be found in Universal Search results. To be effective, they need to be optimized and placed on the key directories. As the only major search marketer providing a full range of production services, we offer our clients the tools and strategies to stay one step ahead of the competition.
They're personal, portable, entertaining and accessible. And through CactusSky's Podcast center, we've been specializing in top-quality corporate audio and video productions and podcasts. Our services include:
- Production
- Creative
- Hosting
- Podcast Tracking
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