I have this theory about the current evolution of mankind. There’s this new social-chromosome developing in some people and not in others, and there now exist in society a divide between those who are advancing with the current speed of communication and those who are not.
Don’t get me wrong – I do not believe in some science-fiction mutation that is making some of us better acclimated to our modern social landscape. It’s simply that some have made it a priority and others have not. Does it make a difference? You better believe it! I’m not only enjoying these new tools, I’m a firm, passionate, believer that without them, most people will not be able to do business in the (VERY) near future.
I could be wrong. In fact, I know some business will be able to continue without these tools. What about yours? Will it survive? Can you compete with your peers who are already making a huge dent in this new media marketplace?
If you’re one of those who has not made it a priority, it can be easy to feel like this new media train has left the station without you, and it’s too late to do anything about it. But the simile of a train leaving the station is just not accurate. Instead, think of it as a group of hot air balloons who are simply getting a higher perspective than you are right now, and significantly more visibility. They’re not actually going anywhere, just getting a wider view of the landscape. At any moment, you can join them and just like lifting off in a balloon, it’s going to require a lot of spent energy before you actually have liftoff.
What does “filling the balloon” look like? It’s getting on Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn, YouTube and FourSquare. It’s finding bloggers who educate and reading (lots of reading) what they are teaching. Watching hours of YouTube. It’s going to social events (Find a Tweetup NOW) and finding out what real people are doing with all this stuff!
Anyone can do this. You can do this. You just have to be willing to put some energy into filling your “balloon” before you can take flight and join the rest of us. But you really should join us; the view is outstanding!