Fifteen years ago, companies realized the importance of having a website. It was a place to showcase products and services.As the Internet matured and social networking websites began to grow, companies and individuals realized they couldn't wait or hope for customers to visit them, they needed to go where customers reside.
Not about the numbers?
There are currently almost two billion people online and 76% of North Americans have Internet access. I live in Canada and 80% of us who are online have a Facebook profile and 5% of all Twitter users live here.
On average, there is a new profile created on LinkedIn every second and there are over 32 hours of videos viewed on YouTube every minute. And while I could fill up this space with endless actual measurable mind blowing stats, the point is that the social aspect of how we communicate continues to evolve. We are learning new things and new ways every day.
Some suggest that business should go completely online and I flatly disagree. These digital channels should be embraced but not at the demise of your current objectives.
There is nothing more powerful than personal contact and you can only build a relationship so far on your smartphone.
If you don't have a strong business plan, a product or service people want to buy, a modicum of business sense, the finesse to navigate relationships and the ability to integrate it all, the web will not pat you on the head and make it all better.
We are not alone.
Last week, I completed a digital audit for a client. This is an organization you'd expect would have its social media this and digital marketing that all in place and they do not. Further conversations with other larger organizations recently have proven this is
not a unique situation.
Organizations of all sizes are trying to find their way.
Quick fixes are the legend of fairy tales. What is necessary is time, patience and an open mind. No one can hope a few blog posts and a handful of tweets are going to cement success.
If "they" are doing it a certain way, take note because you may pick up an idea for your company. But don't disregard what you are doing because that may work for you. And that is the essence of world wide experimentation.
We may never figure this out. Is that perhaps the point?
knealemann | email
image credits: mirnabard | redstick
