Today’s message is a guest entry from my good friend, David G. Johnson, founder of Epiphany Marketing.

Do you see a man diligent and skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29 AMP)

You may be one of the many skeptics who has yet to see the promotional power of social media. If so, I want to be the first to commend you: you’ve probably seen many fads come and go, and you may have even wasted significant time or money once or twice before on something that was going to be the, “next big thing.”

On the other hand, there comes a time when something has actually caught on. Radio and television were once the target of similar detractors, not to mention the “online services” that morphed into our utter dependence upon e-mail and the World Wide Web.

Is it possible to jump in too early and not see the return on your investment you’ve hoped for? Absolutely. On the other hand, with the help of someone who’s paid the price to learn how to make things work, you can avoid the expensive tuition of the school of hard knocks.

Two of my favorite examples from among my own clients who have begun to dominate their marketplace using social media are Christian parenting author, Rick Osborne, and Tom Ziglar, son of Zig Ziglar and President of Ziglar, Inc. Rick, who is worth following on Twitter and “friending” on Facebook, went through our 21st-Century marketing training program and was kind enough to pioneer translating our methods to Twitter (where he dragged me kicking and screaming). Tom Ziglar, who executed a now-famous Twitter strategy after our consulting engagement about 8 months ago, now has a consistent audience of 21,000 and counting!

“But I’m Not A Bestselling Author and My Last Name Isn’t Ziglar!”

True enough. But when you break apart the essence of the strategies that are working for them and for local businesses like the now-famous LA taco truck, there’s no reason you can’t grow your revenues, build relationships, and increase exposure for your business.

Let me assure you: this “passing fad” has become the new PR, advertising and marketing outlet of choice for those looking to achieve “bang for the buck.” The key is understanding how these environments work and how to sustainably and effectively engage them. I look forward to sharing these crucial components with you tonight!

Special Note from Michael Pink: You’re invited to join David and me tonight (Thursday, August 13th) at 9PM Eastern for “How to Dominate Your Marketplace Using Social Media.” This special educational webinar will help all of us learn how social media can be used to grow your business, and advance your message. Click here to reserve your spot right now!  Can’t make the time? Please register anyway… if a recording becomes available, you’ll be the first to find out!

Today’s message is a guest entry from my good friend, David G. Johnson, founder of Epiphany Marketing.

“Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.” (Ecclesiastes 10:20 NKJV)

In today’s consumer-oriented, buyer-driven marketplace, many businesses still live under the illusion that they have control of their own marketing. What about yours?

Don’t misunderstand me. If you (or someone in your company) doesn’t take the initiative to develop an understanding of your marketplace, hone an effective message, and actively get that message out, it’s not going to happen by itself.

But you’re still not in control… your customer is.

Why? Because the world of today is heavily weighted in favor of the individual. Your customers and prospects choose when and where they will tolerate hearing from or about you and your business. Understanding them and their preferences and offering the right options is now more crucial than ever before.

But perhaps just as significantly: they are publishing their thoughts. And their thoughts are arguably just as likely to be heard as yours are, if not more so, particularly where it counts: where your other prospects and customers will hear about it. They “tweet,” write web-based reviews, update their “friends” on Facebook, and participate in online discussion forums.

This is why large corporations today employ teams of “brand management” people who monitor blogs and other Web 2.0 sites like YouTube, Twitter, and local search sites to proactively find out what’s being said about them so that they can address it.

Of course this means that we — whether we serve consumers or other businesses — must be as on guard as ever about what kind of service we’re providing to our customers. But it’s also why small businesses have a tremendous advantage over big companies: we can participate directly. If, that is, we know what to do, where to look, and what tools to use.

To Be Continued…

Special Note from Michael Pink: Watch your inbox and mark your calendar for this Thursday evening, August 13th… I’ve invited David to join me in a special educational webinar to help all of us learn how social media can be used to grow your business, and advance your message! You won’t want to miss it…  I’ll be sending your invitation soon!