Hoot Suite. Reposting. Google Analytics. Trending. No longer the realm of geeks, tech heads, gen Y or marketing experts, these are terms that are part of the business lexicon.
Having a true online presence (a platform) and how to "deal with" Social Media - its becoming the most frequent bug bear, the most misunderstood element of business and the subject of more blogs and opinion pieces than any other aspect of business.
Employers risk being left behind if they believe Facebook and Twitter are young people's tools for keeping in touch with their friends and bitching about work. And if employers think having "a website" means they are online, think again.
Businesses risk being wiped off the face of the earth - fast - if they don't get educated and get onboard with being online.
No matter what business you're in, you need to read this blog. There are literally no exceptions.
And if you're considering closing this blog because you don't think I can convince you - do yourself a favour and get a copy of "What Would Google Do" by Jeff Jarvis. It 100% changed the way I viewed the world and it will do the same for you and your business. It will take you less than 5 minutes to order it from Amazon or Book Depositry and you'll have it in a few short weeks. If you can't wait that long, pay a bit more and grab it from Borders online.
Some insight: the most innovative companies in the world in 2011 according to Forbes Magazine:
1. Salesforce.com - software and programming company with sales of $1.66B
2. Amazon.com - no explanation needed, sales of $34.2B
3. Intuitive Surgical - medical equipment and surgical supplies, sales of $1.41B
4. Tencent holdings - computer services. Sales of $2.98B
5. Apple - again, no explanation needed. Sales of $76.28B. Yes, there's no typo there.
(Google came in at #8... Microsoft #86)
Apple is the most sucessful company in the world at the moment. Their products - the mac, iphone and ipad are not only the best in their fields, they changed the world as we knew it.
I will confess right now that I am a huge fan of Apple. And Google. And Amazon.
I now literally have the world at my fingertips. I can google the answer to any musings I have (why did Indonesia invade Timor? What does the word "lexicon" mean, am I using it in the right context? I have some cornichons in the fridge, what are they and can I find a recipe I like that uses them?). I can find and buy any book, music clip, audio book or podcast I want and/or download it, owning it instantly. I can reach out to people I know or don't know, via email, anywhere in the world in a safe manner. I can educate myself, at little or no cost, on any topic I choose. I can learn a language, economics, politics, culture, arts, business, philanthropy, anthropology, astrophysics.
My 7 and 4 year old kids have ipod touches. In their lifetime, the term "best thing since sliced bread" will be replaced by "the best thing since wireless".
And those in business who bury their heads in the sand because it hurts to contemplate what all this rapid technological change and rollercoaster of innovation means will be left behind and will die due to lack of growth and being outdone by their online competitors.
So, what are the basics for those in business to understand?
1. Creating an online platform doesn't mean just having a website. It means engaging with your stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, competitors), it means understanding the business you are in and creating niche products for niche markets. Mass markets are dead, replaced by a mass of niches.
2. Do not ignore social media. You can't beat 'em, so you may as well join 'em. This is a free, easy way to engage with your stakeholders. Ask for their feedback on new products. Ask them to rate your existing products. Ask them what they would like that you aren't giving them. Promote your specials and ideas. A Facebook and Twitter account give your business a personality and allow you to establish yourself as an expert. Blog - share your expertise, provide commentary on current affairs within your industry or business field. Life is public and, now, so is business.
3. Allocate adequate resources to maintain your online presence. It's not a set-and-forget exercise. Just like all other admin and marketing aspects of your business, there needs to be a person accountable to this important operational function. Find someone in your business who loves being online, who is experienced in all its facets (or wants to learn how to be). If no such person exists, outsource it. (Newsflash: many celebreties who tweet have someone else doing it for them)
4. Accept the way you do business is not immune and has been changed forever.
- Accept that your customer is your best friend and your best advertisement (yes, they always have, but now its easier as their feedback can go viral. Case in point: Qantas).
- Accept that niche has replaced mass, that customers want products to meet needs that they specify and to feel they are special (case in point, Coke's name-on-a-bottle marketing campaign). NB: this rule didn't apply to Apple, the most successful company in the world, however it appears to be a rare exception.
- Accept that Free is a business model. Give some information away for free and charge for the rest. Give your users what they want, drive traffic to your website and have advertisers pay to be part of it.
- Accept that search engines rule the business world now. If you're not searchable, you won't be found.
- Accept that small is the new big. Medium and large companies who previously enjoyed immunity due to their size, their economies of scale, are a dying breed as smaller companies can more easily flex and change to meet their customer needs and can take more risks due to lower overheads and less complicated structures. Unless you are Apple.
- Not only accept all of this, but embrace it. And get educated. Please.
A final case in point, which also probably goes some way to explain why I am so passionate about being onboard with online.
Events Hunter started as an idea, with virtually no capital and a founder who didn't know the first thing about social media, website creation or search engine optimisation.
Within 3 months, I have created a website, rose to #3 in the Google search engine and created a strong brand both online and in the real world. My social media presence and database is growing every day, as are my advertisers and sponsors.
I don't pretend to be a genius marketer, tech head or IT minded person. Quite the opposite. I love the dynamics of a real business - people, networking, meetings, creative collaboration. However, I am obsessed with excellence, I admire world class products and service and for Events Hunter to be the best I had to understand what business I was in.
I read pages and pages of literature (real and virtual). I spoke to dozens of colleagues and peers (so generous with their time and happy to collaborate). I researched other sites to mine ideas and functionalities. I sought out the best web designers, graphic designers and networks available and asked them to help me.
Easy really, this being onboard with online business.
Why don't you give it a go? If you need some help, I'd be more than happy to collaborate.
Belinda Smith is the director and founder of eventshunter.com.au, an online collaboration platform facilitating events and business in the Hunter. She is also obsessed with online retail, blogs and social media.
No comments:
Post a Comment