When the web was first created by DARPA (no, it was NOT Al Gore), they wanted to create a new way to collaborate on research projects.  People in government and university settings used it to communicate on research and educational projects.There were no web browsers in those days.  But this was the beginning of email and file sharing (FTP).

Information Linked to Information

One day, a researcher a CERN had an idea.  He wanted to use the system to create a way that would allow one document to be linked to another, thereby creating a "web" of information that cross references itself.  That was the beginning of the world wide web as we know it.  It created Information linked to information using a new protocol called HTML and the first web browsers were born to display these documents.

People Linked to Information - Information sharing

Once the information was created and linked to itself, the natural inclination was to help people more easily find the documents.  So, the web created directories and bookmarking and indexing and search engines to facilitate sharing.  These were ways to make it easier for people to share good information with others.  Yahoo was the first generation of search engine and it's success was a reflection of people's insatiable appetite for information.

People Linked to People - Social Media

The most recent step in the evolution of the web has led to what we now call "Social Media." Social Media is the transcendence of Information management and Information sharing. We are now in the realm of using technology to expand not just information, but our lives and our lifestyles.

Marshall McLuhan said that the Medium is the Message.  In the case of the medium's first incarnation, the message was, Share your research.  The second incarnation's message was Organize your information.  The third incarnation's message was Share your Information.  The latest incarnation, however, gets us past information.  What then is the message now?

The message of Social Media is "Participate in Life."  You can share your thoughts and interests, what makes you happy, sad, excited, motivated.  You can participate in and create communities of friends, business associates, family, common interests, and anything else that you like.  Now, it's about people.  Information is secondary.  Information may be the water in which those people swim, but it's not about the information - it's about what's being created by people as a group.

Social Media Implications

The most significant implication is the movement away from just Googling (simply looking for information) to Participation (using information in the course of Living).  Information in an of itself is of no value unless it's put to use.  We humans use information in the course of participation in life.  That's why libraries are both so important, and of no value unless their contents are put to use by people in life.

The message, Participate in Life, then, implies ongoing interaction between people and groups.  People may participate simply for fun, or they may have goals.  Every facet of life is about participation.  One does not Live alone in this world, and we now have a medium that reflects this reality as it's message.  LIVE!  Have FUN!

How Do I Participate in Social Media Life?

We've all heard of Facebook and Twitter.  These are almost synonymous with Social Media themselves. Using them is a start.  There are important things to realize, though, about social media.  When you go to a party, there are basic rules of etiquette.  You don't go into a black tie event in jeans.  You dress appropriately.  You don't discuss business all the time.  You make small talk.

With Social Media comes the complexities of human social interaction and these things can not be ignored.  That's one of the reasons we put together our Social Media training course.  We've designed it to help you to not be the sales dork at the party.  If you'd like to know more about this, my company, 7 Peaks, is offering a special social media training course designed for sales forces to teach them to use social media to build relationships and trust first, and to expand business as a natural, not forced, result.

Case Study - Local Market Domination Success Story.

Last September, 2009, I was talking to my favorite CPA, Marc Gilfillan. He was complaining, yet again, about his "web site" and I proposed to him that we remedy that problem. BUT - we were not going to just put up a web site, rather, we were going to engage in a marketing program to create a LEAD GENERATION MACHINE and a CUSTOMER CONVERTER out of the new web site we created for him.

So, we embarked on a mission - to prepare the web site and position Marc in the search engine rankings for his search terms by Tax Season. That would be a little over 3 months. So, during the 4th quarter of 2009, we put Marc's new site in place and began promoting it with a steady stream of well planned activities designed to create Marc as the most "Relevant" CPA in Cary, Raleigh and the triangle area. Relevant, that is, in the eyes of the search engines.

Using a well orchestrated weekly process designed to let the search engines know that when someone asked the question, "Who can I get to do my taxes in Cary, NC?," the best response was, naturally, Marc Gilfillan, we watched him slowly rise through the ranks.

The Results

Almost immediately, Marc appeared in the top 100 between 40 and 100. Then, between 30 and 80. Then, between 12 and 30 (That's page 2-3 on Google). By January, Marc topped the lists on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

But the most important results were the NEW CLIENTS. 10 new clients in January from online searches! Compare that with ZERO new clients for the years past during that same time from online searching! And, best of all, to know Marc, is to love Marc - these are clients FOR LIFE! All we had to do was get them in the door!

Wait! We weren't satisfied to simply sit back and wait. We created a special discount marketing program for Marc, as well, called "G-BUCKS." You can see them for yourself on his site www.MarcCPA.com. Marc's getting calls almost every day from new clients wanting to cash in now!

The Future

The future looks bright, indeed, for W. Marc Gilfillan, CPA and it looks like we will be achieving our goal of DOUBLING Marc's business this year. It's only a matter of time. And, all that from a well orchestrated, ongoing, online marketing campaign designed to GET NEW CUSTOMERS. Yes, there is a difference between getting Traffic and getting customers. And that's can be the difference between failure and success.

It's very clear for all to see.  The Yellow Pages are officially dead! You can still use them to boost toddlers up at the dinner table.  But, for marketing your business, you need to look elsewhere.

According to a LawFirms.com poll of 515 consumers, 83% said they began their search for a lawyer via a search engine like Google or Yahoo. Another 7% started their search directly on LawFirms.com.

That's fully 90% found their lawyers on the internet.

And that holds for anything else people want to find.  CPA's, lawyers, plumbers (including Joe), electricians, carpenters, car dealers, ...everything anyone wants is on the new Yellow Pages - the Internet.

Even more important, Internet search engines like Google allow people to search for, and find, an infinite variety of any given thing they are looking for.  At Wallmart, you can get a white lamp, and a black lamp, because there's only so much shelf space.  But on the internet, you can get lamps in a thousand colors.

What this all means for your business is that "Target Marketing" and distinguishing your business from others in the same niche has never been so important.  So, if you want to be distinguished among your peers and you want to rise above everyone else on the search engine and be found, then you need to contact me and we'll see what we can do for you.