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Just like everyone else when I wake up in the morning (yes, I put my pants on the same way as you), I follow a routine: 1.) Check Yahoo! News to make sure what was here yesterday is still intact, 2.) Read my daily dose of online marketing and personnel development blogs, 3.) Browse my personal choice of social networking sites…I’m sure most of you beat me to that one.
But the other day while I was finishing up # 3, I was struck by something I’m surprised I’ve never seen before…maybe I have, but for some reason it hit me like a ton of bricks…or notebooks: each time your mom (insert relative) hops on Facebook and decides to talk about the latest 2-for-1 discount Albertson’s is having on bread, she is spreading they’re message to the masses without even realizing it.
Before going any further, let’s consider a few things. For the sake of sticking with our example, below are some of Facebook’s recent statistics:
- Average user has 130 friends on the site
- More than 6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day
- More than 40 million status updates each day
- More than 10 million users become fans of Pages each day
Take five seconds and study the emphasized words and stats. Yes, Facebook has over 300 million active users. Yes, over 70% of the users are outside the United States. I got it…but that’s not important. Believe me folks there’s a stat for everything. Including how much time you WASTE every day. However, that’s for a different cup of coffee.
Starting with the first point: If you’re part of the population who’s brain is slowly turning to mush, you already know there’s an audience out there rooting you on – and joining you on the path toward social networking bliss. So, don’t forget there is someone listening.
The second point: Just like anything in life we set out to accomplish, it all takes time. I believe time has to be the scarcest and sought after of all commodities. You can’t CREATE more time…there is no rolling back the clock. One can only control what they do with it. How will the 6 billion minutes be spent today? Talking with friends is cool, playing Farmville & Mafia is fun, discovering you’re the 27th – thrice removed cousin of Abraham Lincoln all has its perks. What if those 6 billion minutes were channeled in a slightly different direction? And, let’s set the record straight: I’m not Zig Ziglar – nor do I care to be – so I don’t give a rip about what you do with your time. But, you do have a choice. Time is money.
The third point: What do you think about when you login and see your friend’s mood change from happy to sad (or bad to worse) after you just had lunch? “Why couldn’t you have told me then….?” Oh, it’s changed since I saw you 32 minutes ago. How will you change your status when you die? (Don’t answer that.) It’s evident through this stat there are people doing things that matter to them on a regular basis. Consistency.
The fourth point: It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the Animal Kingdom or a small circle of friends; there are pack leaders and followers. People like to follow. Most humans enjoy rallying around a cause and supporting something. Some will follow blindly (because their friends are doing it), others because they have time and energy invested. You can bank on it; there will be followers, but not as many leaders. Which will you be? Participation.
Let me tie it together for you.
The lady I mentioned earlier, who was talking about the great deal on bread at the local supermarket was a real person. Probably not much different than you. She too rolls out of bed the same way…hops online and starts posting great deals for a company, who, I’m sure, has a well paid and taken care of marketing team. This lady works for free.
But do you have to?
You have an audience, you’ve found the time to dedicate towards accomplishing something online (productive or not). You’re consistent at it rain or shine; the whole world knows how you feel. You may even take 30 seconds and tune out your dinner guests for the sake of your cyber social bugs knowing in real time. And you’ve joined a group you probably know nothing about. But heck it’s cool though right?
Today, you did everything an online marketer does without even knowing it…all in the name of fun. As you continue to read this blog and view the crazily awesome (I hope that’s a word) tools and techniques us online marketing “take over the world” gurus use to make money online, you too will get paid (paid well) for your efforts.
It’s all about what you do with what you got.
