Could you go 60 days without using Social Media? No blogging, tweeting, fb status updates, etc.? Well I did it....kinda. Here's what I learned. In some areas I was more successful than others. I haven't blogged in two months. As for tweeting and fb the longest I went without using them was 30 days. Honestly it was harder than I thought it would be. So Why Did I Do It? 1) I wanted to unplug. It was time to take a step back from being "plugged in" and just take time to think.  I turned 37 this past May, which puts me closer to 40 than ever before :) I really wanted to take a break from some of the noise that was in my day to day life and just take some time to reflect on where I've been and where I'm going. 2) I wanted to really see if "technology" was hindering or helping me to have a "better" life.  I can honestly say that being unplugged from social networks for a long period of time left me feeling out of touch with people.  As humans we have a basic desire to connect and have relationships.  I will write on this more later but to sum it up, being connected, even if only by a status update, is a good thing. 3) I wanted to get a sense of whether Social Media was indeed here to stay or just a fad. Without a doubt Social Media is not going anywhere...ever. I know that's a big claim but I believe it. It aligns too closely with basic our human needs to have relationships and be connected. Who we are and who we want to be are all played out using Social Media channels.  It certainly will evolve but it's not just a passing trend. 4) Is Social Media consuming all of my time? The answer was no.  Moderation, balance, prioritize...are all words that come to mind when I think about using Social Networks, blogging, etc.

The only way you're going to launch that idea, that business, that website is to create a tunnel vision focus and get it done. Today the noise and  distractions that surrounds us are overwhelming.  Twenty four hour news, instant updates, tweets, friends, phones and everything else are all fighting for your attention.  Unfortunately for most people those distractions are succeeding at pulling you away from what needs to be done. If you think the distractions are bad for you, they are even worse for businesses.  Many companies fail to have tunnel vision when it comes to launching products and services. Of course you'll here the argument that keeping an open mind, listening to the masses and constantly changing are all important characteristics of a successful company. Certainly those are successful traits, however the ability to block all things around you, all distractions and noise and apply a tunnel vision like focus to the problem is the difference between a company headed in the right direction and a company headed in too many directions Many of the arguments Jason Friend makes in his book Rework require companies to have tunnel vision.  Things like putting less instead of more features into products, not focusing on the competitions business but instead your own, and proper time management all require tunnel vision. What are the things that keep you from achieving your goals?  What are the distractions that eat away at your time? You need to practice some tunnel vision on your highway to success. photo credit

Most of the marketing channels that small business have used in the past are dying right before our eyes. It's got me thinking about why so many small businesses aren't utilizing more Internet marketing tools today.  It can't be cost, since most of these things cost very little in the way of monetary investment.  Perhaps it's a perceived lack of time.  However if you knew your success depended on it I know you would make time. I guess it could be a lack of knowledge on how to use these tools or how to get started. Quite frankly there is a ton of great stuff on the Internet that answers a lot of questions you may have. So, I'm left with two reasons that small businesses choose not to utilize these tools a) their current lead generation and cultivation system works just fine b) they don't believe Internet marketing will work. Current System For Attracting Leads Let's look at the first one. How do you attract customers today?   Here's a list that I came up with, perhaps there are more. Word of Mouth (Referrals) Print Advertising (Newspapers, Yellow Pages, etc) AM/FM Radio Trade shows Direct Mail TV Outdoor Advertising Phone I'm sure there are other ways that you attract customers to your small business, however this probably covers most. Now, based on trends what do you think each of these channels will look like 5 years from now in terms of consumption and engagement.

So I've just returned form 2009 Blogworld and New Media Expo and if I had to sum it up in one word it would be; YES. Yes, you must have a blog. Yes, you must optimize your websites design. Yes, you must use email marketing. Yes, you must use social media. Yes, you must use search engine optimization. Yes, you must use video. Yes, you must use audio. Yes, you must be involved in online marketing your business. Yes, you must be involved in the online conversation. And, YES you must have a strategic plan to implement all of this today.

There are a ton of websites, books and gurus out there that tell you how to make money on the Internet.  Blogging has become a profitable industry all on its own.  A micro economy full of Internet marketers, mommy blogger's, tech guys,  affiliate marketers and much more. But what if your not interested in using a blog for any of those? What if your an entrepreneur or executive and want a business blog to increase leads, improve communication or brand your company. That's what I want to focus on.  Using a business blog to promote your company, self , product or service. I've blogged for our company Lazzara Yachts since 2004 and many people ask both how and why I got started. Here are some of the things I've learned over the years.