No One Promised It Would Be Easy

I deleted three different versions of this blog post before reaching this point. I didn’t save them to edit or reshape another time. I outright deleted them. It may sound ridiculous to other bloggers. If an idea stays stuck in your head long enough to be redone three times, there must be something of value to it, right?

But, delete them I did.

They were simply too negative in tone to truly be of any value to anyone.

The Negativity Train
I wrote a post a while back on getting out of one’s comfort zone and embrace change as a positive force. I should probably bring that one back. The past couple of weeks have seen a few changes around the social media dance floor. Some good. Some TBD. But, rest assured, they’re taking social media marketers out of their comfort zones.

• LinkedIn is now providing Sponsored Updates to allow businesses to promote their content. This seems an interesting item to try to attract new customers. This reinforces what I’ve been saying all along: LinkedIn is no longer a resume’ depository. It’s a networking and customer audience power house. They figured out not only how to be where the job seekers would be, but where the best customer matches might be, too. They’ve shifted their focus to that aspect of relationship building like no other platform.

• Facebook finally got their roll-out figured out and just about every page manager is now looking at new Insights. The jury (me) is still out on this one. I’m finding discrepancies in numbers. But, for now, I’m willing to accept that the numbers have to be reworked from before roll-out. A few glitches aren’t going to make me crazy just yet.

• Facebook also did away with the People Talking About This (PTAT) , although The Official Word is that it was a coding issue that is being fixed.  I’m mixed on this one, too. I liked a quick glance of follower to engagement ratio. Yet, it never did show a complete picture of the follower/engagement dynamic. I didn’t think about it until just now, so I guess I’m not going to lose sleep over it tonight.

• Facebook ads seem to be taking over the site entirely. I’m not a huge fan of “pay to play” plans, but it’s advertising just the same. Facebook is a social platform. Not a social marketing platform. I get it.

• Gmail set up tabs for us to filter our messages. First two articles that show up in a Google search: How to Use and How to Get Rid of Tabs I understand not liking the “Big Brother” is watching you and controlling what you see point of view. Frankly, I find it much more convenient for me to streamline my reading. I’ve now figured out how they categorize my emails. Short of moving about 3 different senders to a different tab, I’m good.

The changes and updates didn’t put me in a funk, rather it was the constant stream of posts by others announcing the end of the online marketing world as we know it. Some were lamenting they had more work to do. The changes were going to make you miss their Very Important Message! And, my personal favorite was one announcing he was going to take his toys (business pages) from the sandbox and go home. I could be an ass for assuming too much, but I thought I was interacting with adults, not children.

No One Promised It Would Be Easy
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that if anything is worth having, it’s worth working hard for. Changes, while annoying at times are nothing more than opportunities.

How we go about dealing with changes determines what we’ll get out of them. We can wail and gnash our teeth. Or we can dig in, figure out the pros and cons and start working them to our favor.

Yes, it involves work. Not pretty packaging or pithy catch phrases. They are only the end products. Of all the time I spend online, the majority is spent reading, researching, and analyzing. The posting and scheduling take minutes. The work, though, is what is going to make those posts worthwhile to my clients’ and my customer audiences.

Don’t Bring Me Down
I was talking with my Dad one time and he was telling me stories of his early work life. I questioned that he never had a bad story about someone or something. Surely, he crossed paths with disagreeable people and situations? He told me they didn’t matter. He kept at his goals through the good and the bad. But, he chose to only remember the good.

Differing points of view are wonderful springboards to discussion, learning, and growth. However, there is a time to walk away from outright negativity and pessimism. I’ve learned in life and in business that there will always be naysayers and those who will only focus on the negative. But, I don’t want to be one of them.

Of course, I’m adjusting to all the social media changes and figuring out what it all means. There are moments of self-doubt and anxiousness. I have to remind myself that they are just moments.

I refuse to let momentary situations deter me from my work. I’m not in the business of looking bad or making my clients look bad. If I don’t find the positive strategies for myself and my clients, then I might as well just hang it up now, because social media marketing isn’t going to stop evolving and changing.

If I’m not part of the positive adaption of change, then I’m just whining and crying sitting in a sandbox and others are going to take their toys and leave.

Be Well. Be Present. Be Social.
~Theresa
21st Century SMM