I have been in digital media in one form or another for about fifteen years. But only in the last few years I realized the need to define it, excuse it, defend it, explain it or convince someone about it. I don’t anymore.
I know Hubble is above us and the rest of the iceberg is much bigger than the part I can see from here.
It’s not about the tools or the sites or the tweets or the blog designs or the interfaces or the anything else you want to point to, it’s about you.
Find The Quiet
Forget the noise; forget the blaming and the stalling. Are you ready to get to work? Are you prepared to put in the time it takes to build a human network of evangelists, customers, friends, advocates, colleagues and people you can literally call on when you really need another human being?
This is not going to be easy – in fact, there will be days when you think it’s just a big waste of time. Eliot Burdett who has been training sales teams for years, nails it when he says; “The best results come right about the time you think you are absolutely wasting your time.”
Unfold Their Arms
Most managers or owners who build the wall to stop the social media discussion are often the same people who are sleeping soundly at night because they have placed their media in newspaper, on radio and television and through the direct mail piece. All too often, we fear the unknown.
Some fear that getting involved - not tinkering with friends online - but involved with social media will require hard work and time. Their fears are well founded. But what part of your business is not work? What part is automatic? What part appears on a silver plate for your complete enjoyment void of effort?
Wait and See
In 1986, I asked my boss about getting a fax machine. He thought it was unnecessary. He quipped there was no need for us to get one until everyone else got one.
Can you be the internal champion that will convince the boss to at least open her mind to possibilities?
Will you remind those who like the good ‘ole days that the average age of users on Facebook, MySpace, FourSquare, Twitter and LinkedIn is about 35 and it's not just a bunch of bloggers and cool kids?
If you get his attention, will you remind him that ‘placing media’ and ‘engaging with other human beings’ are two different things and you can do both?
Are you going to stand up to her and agree that this activity takes time, there are no easy instant automatic cemented home runs with any activity and that includes her current media spend?
Are you now ready to fight for it before everyone else gets one?
@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.
photo credit: pmstudent
