There are skeptics out there who are not willing to take a risk and engage in the world of social media. Some are afraid of change while others simply do not feel that they know enough about it. Then, there are some that know that their competition hasn’t engaged the customers through social media means. All of these are given as reasons for staying away. EXCUSES! But, what these individuals, businesses, brands, and organizations fail to realize is that social media and related Web 2.0 and beyond technologies are great opportunities that can aid their efforts in many different ways. What works for one company, brand, or organization won’t necessarily work for the rest – it is not a universal solution, for, instead, social media and related technologies and marketing efforts should be shaped and tailored to fit the needs and goals of company, brand, or organization. There is no copy and paste; alternatively, proper planning and preparation are needed to reach optimal success. Those rules (the need for planning and preparation) haven’t changed, for only the environment and landscape have changed. Just like football evolved from predominantly a running game to that of a passing game, marketing has evolved from television and newspapers to online media marketing. However, as in the past, the need to preplan and coordinate is just as great if not more so now than ever in the history of marketing. With new options and opportunities comes some added complexity in the marketing mix. But, determination, persistence, and planning will go a long way.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Who are your customers?
2. Where do your customers frequent online? (Facebook? Twitter? Blogs?)
3. What do you want to communicate to your customers?
4. Are you willing to listen to your customers?

For decades, more and more people have surrounded televisions around the nation and even the world to watch the Super Bowl. In its 44th annual installment on Sunday, more and more companies are looking at ways to do one of two things. One: those shelling out nearly three million dollars per 30-second advertising spot are wanting to maximize their visibility as best as they can. A great example of this is GoDaddy.com and its extended commercials (and conclusions) that are online following the airing of the Super Bowl ad. Two: some large companies are simply forgoing the costly route of producing and broadcasting their advertising messages within the normal Super Bowl channels. An example of this is Pepsi and their sudden departure from Super Bowl commercial placement. After 23 straight Super Bowl appearances, they are throwing all of their Super Bowl marketing budget behind social media! They are wanting to make a bigger difference and appeal in the world, and social media is allowing them greater success through their new Refresh Project.

While we do not know which team on the field is going to walk off with the Lombardi Trophy, one thing is for sure – the real winner will be social media. This illustrates how marketing is going through a paradigm shift of sorts. Mass media channels are simply not the only way to go if you seek national or global brand recognition. We have a new set of tools at our disposal, and some are tinkering with these new tools. Of course, there are a few companies and executives out there that are oblivious to this change that is rapidly fermenting; it is time to jump aboard the Social Media train.

Whether in the world of business or in the world of personal challenges, we cannot allow fear to own and control our every move. According to Sven Goran Eriksson, “the greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” To succeed, we must take risks, but we also cannot simply take risks so foolishly. Instead, we should plan and prepare accordingly, and then we can take those appropriate risks! As I mentioned in my last blog, I like to challenge myself and take a chance! I do not mind trying new things. In doing so, I am becoming a better person, discovering great new things along my journey. Also, we cannot simply give up. There are occasions where you may endure a setback or possibly fail, but you must not quite. Sometimes, we just have to get back up and try again. Other times, it might be best to reevaluate and just try another route.

In 2008, I was looking to try a new adventure, and, as a thrill seeker, I found skydiving to be my next challenge. Sure, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane at approximately 10,000 feet can be a bit scary, but I did not jump unprepared. Instead, I researched about the sport of skydiving, and then I acquainted myself with the equipment that was going to allow me to safely perform this thrill! In addition, I followed the safety guidelines of the USPA and absorbed the necessary knowledge from the skydiving instructors. In the summer of 2008, I completed my first jump in Saginaw, Michigan. I then went on to jump three more times that summer, each time learning from the previous experiences. Below is a video of my third jump. While I had jumped twice before this video, this was the first time jumping out of the Cessna 206. As you may be able to see, I tumbled a little bit while exiting the plane, a mistake that I corrected on my fourth jump. Also, I miscalculated my landing, slowing my parachute down a little early -- hence the harder than normal landing. Each time, I learned and then improved from mistakes’ lessons.

We cannot allow fear to get in the way. With proper training, guidance, and knowledge, anything is possible, and we must always remember that! Set S.M.A.R.T. goals! Make them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Do not be afraid to fail; instead, we must maintain motivation, continuously learn on the fly and as the environment changes, and enjoy the journey!

Like the Old Proverb says… Where there’s a will, there’s a way! So, maintain your will, find a way, and do not be afraid to fail!

Too often, we are content with what we currently have, and we tend not to welcome change. This occurs both within our personal lives and certainly within the business world. Too often, we are left behind when we do not look to new adventures and social trends. Of course, there are numerous examples of this within our very lives. Personally, I have never tried tofu. As a proud meat and potatoes kind of guy, I have never taken the liberty of ordering some, but that all changed last evening. I tried blackened and barbequed tofu with rice; even though I favored the barbeque-seasoned tofu, I liked both! Was it a risk? Sure! But, it is a good risk, and I am willing to try almost anything new for the sake of knowing what I truly enjoy and refining who I am as a person! As a result of me embracing this opportunity, I have gained a taste for a new food, something that I know for future reference (one more great option to pick from)! Take another example like social media! It has helped us connect in ways that many of us have never imagined. For some, it helped reconnect with lost friends. For others, it helped reach a new niche market and gain increased revenues and new loyal customers. Many people have shied away from this newer technology and social phenomenon. For those who decided to embrace it, great things have occurred. Certainly, it is not the universal answer, but it opens up great and new doors – new opportunities!

No matter what part of life you focus on, there are changes just waiting to be made. These are not just the ridiculous or irrational changes, for there are numerous others as well. Do you need to take every turn in the roadway? No, but we also should not be unwilling to make promising changes in any part of our lives! Letting such opportunities, both business and personal, pass us by simply pushes us further away from achieving our optimal greatness! While some changes may be mistakes, avoiding all types of change (and hence opportunity) would unfortunately be the greatest mistake. Hence, we should embrace change and get a head start on our competition. Make the best of life and write your own future instead of simply following someone else’s plan.

Branding is a challenge for people and companies alike, and the addition of advancing technologies both assist and complex this endeavor. Also, it should be noted that the strong brand today cannot simply sleep on yesterday’s achievements, for the customers are powerful and demanding – what are you doing for me today? We live in a world wherein loyalty to brands and companies is decreasing by the minute; each customer has more and more options at his or her fingertips. Consequently, while your brand can reach out to exponentially more customers than in previous decades, the brands and the representatives monitoring and marketing those brands have to stay on their toes! Your brand is constantly being judged, and its value will rise and fall like the stock market.

A brand has to be cultivated and nurtured. It takes hard work and dedication. One thing that we all need to realize is that brands are not isolated or unique simply to the products and services offered by Company A or B! Instead, brands are being extended to you – you are a brand, and social media is illustrating this more and more. Mitch Joel mentions in his highly recommended, exceptional book, Six Pixels of Separation, that “in this digital age, your personal brand will be your most powerful ally (or enemy)” (p. 127). He continues by noting that “branding is the heart and soul of a business – and of the people who make up that business” (p. 129). He is right on target with this one. Branding is at the core of everything the business does and offers. The same is true for the person, you! And those brands’ value will rise and fall, much to the dependency upon what you do with it! Each brand is unique, and the customer is watching. The customer is bright and very keen. Do as Mitch Joel reminds us and be passionate about your brand – in what you do! Don’t let your brand or your passion be fake, for the customer will smell that from many bytes away just like it does when you fake a smile!

So, is your brand on the rise? Or is it simply on the downward slide? Will it reach its potential? All of that is up to you! Are you willing to put forth the time and effort in to make it the best that you can?