Business is constantly evolving. There are many aspects that simply recycle themselves just like clothing styles in the fashion industry – especially marketing. This is why it’s important to always remember the traditional ways of business because as trends come and go, traditional marketing always stands as foundationaly sound and reliable.
The launch of social media platforms exploded and every business owner, entrepreneur and major corporate turned to social media to connect.
“Social marketing can be applied wherever one has a target audience and a behaviour one wants to influence.” Alan R.Andreasen
At one point, it was said that if you were a business owner and didn’t have a social media platform of some kind, then you would ultimately fail. Every conversation, every article was about social media and the emergence of social media companies and “specialist” contractors who could make increase your audience and therefore increase your profits.
The excitement of social media and implementation of technology and connecting to the global market drove many businesses to seek out connections to new clients through these platforms.
Yes, marketing is theory based but it is still drawn from human behaviour.
“It is predicated on theories of consumer behaviour, which in turn draw upon the social and behavioural sciences”. A theorist or behavioural scientist can say this but as a business owner, I draw my “so called theories” on my practical experiences with clients through capturing their emotions, loyalty and trust.
“If you’re doing it right, social media will lead to real relationship building.” Quoted from the Content Factory but what about the actual experience of looking a customer in the eye, shaking their hand and giving them a smile or a direct answer to their problems.
We may constantly question what is traditionally sound business structures. Foundational strategies are always borne on what is proven and mature and trends only last until the next trend comes along.
Like fashion, the substantial and basic necessities repeat themselves over and over again. What was past resurfaces back in the future.
Major automation and marketing companies are now realising that tradition still rules. I was recently involved in a webinar to listen to a very successful automation queen (I am withholding her name on purpose so as not to offend). The webinar highlighted this new concept and proclaimed this new way of connecting was the answer. That all her business clients would benefit from this next trend. With bated breath, everyone waited to hear the new concept and be the first to take up the opportunity. She provided what she referred to as a “delicious” package that you could purchase from her to learn how to get this new system in place and obtain the secrets of increasing sales for your business.
After listening to the pitch for 20 minutes she finally stated that “holding events and workshops” was the missing link and would increase cashflow.!
Hold on a minute, am I missing something! Haven’t we been doing this for years already. The only link missing here is her knowledge of traditional business and the fact that events and workshops have, and are, a foundational tool for every business.
In hearing this proclamation, I turned down the sound so as to not be rude and exit the webinar and went on doing what we do each year, structuring great forums and ,, networking events and connecting to our clients as frequently so as to not appear to stalk them.
Just remember, if you are seeking the latest trend – maybe look back in your box of traditional business and marketing skills and recycle something that worked for you in the past. Dust it off, give it a new name and recycle what was successful and will be successful again.
Return to Blog
I am sorry… sorry that this world is in such a state of disarray and fear – sorry that we can’t get along and that some people feel the need to hurt people for no reason. Sorry that they use God for the wrong reason and not for faith and hope and love…….
I am grateful for every moment of every day of my life, for every person I meet, for every single thing I do and the opportunities that are put in front of me – I am grateful for you, and you, and you and I don’t care about your race, religion or colour of your skin. What I do care about is how you are treated and how you treat others, if you are capable of respect and love and if you have faith in yourself to know that love is greater than anything…
I have always been a seeker of the truth and solutions – not focusing on problems. I can only hope that others find the solutions and seek the truth – that Governments become responsible for their own people and not have greed or avarice as their focus. That prime ministers, presidents, Kings Queens, popes and anyone in position of power can put aside their greed, their status and have compassion for those in need, to help and give of themselves until it hurts, to put aside their own needs for the needs of others. Tomorrow when I wake I will look in the mirror and ask myself “how can I help make this world a better place?” 
I am sure the answer will not come from what technology I use or from what pictures I take and post on line. The answers will come from the truth that is in me, the essence of why I was put on this earth and who I am meant to be.
Watch what you wish for, they say – well I wish for nothing less than love, faith, hope, respect and truth for you….. and that starts with me.
How many times do we see people sitting together having lunch, or walking together and not looking at each other at all? When was the last time you put your phone or tablet away and actually looked at the person next to you long enough to notice? Did you notice their face changing in any way; a new wrinkle; the colour of their eyes; a new hairstyle or just how wonderful their smile is?
When was the last time you looked at someone to see their beauty, inside not just out?
In this day and age of high levels of communication and technology we are missing what’s really important – understanding non-verbal communication. Have we come so far that we are lost – that young people feel estranged and lonely from their friends yet their Facebook says they have hundreds of them. Their Instagram is full of photos and yet there is no one to listen to their opinions.
Research reported by Time Magazine, finds that the younger generations and students have less empathy and ability to understand and share the feelings of others than students of previous generations. Digital communication, social networking, video conferencing and other forms of new media are being blamed for this loss of empathy.
In this day and age it’s much easier to say negative things about others if you don’t have to say it to their face and if you don’t like engaging in your problems, you simply log off or even ‘unfriend’ yourself.
But then who do you talk to and who do you believe really understands what your going through?
The trouble with the easy option of technology is that there is no empathy, when we don’t work to understand the needs of others there is also a significant loss of trust. If someone doesn’t really know you and what you’re thinking then it has been proven that they trust you less. This is why so many young people feel more isolated.
This can have major implications for their personal lives and when they go into the business world where trust is essential for successful leadership and partnerships.
The most important thing is that when you respond to the needs and feelings of other people, you gain their trust.
Others may be labelled uncaring and insensitive, but you will be trusted when you’re able to understand and respond to the needs and values of individuals, and the group.
Take the time to get to know someone around you that you have not spent any time with, especially in your workplace. Look at them and find out through old fashioned interactions of face to face who they are. You just may find a great new friendship, a trusting relationship or a long term ally.
