"The Times They Are A Changin'"

Who could say it better than Dylan? Well, maybe not say so much as moan and groan it out of his being...but nevertheless...

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Year end reflecting is annoying at best, but necessary I suppose to move forward without repeating the same blunders...and repeating the same successful strategies that forged us forward this past year. "Don't Look Back" (Boston) is still engraved in my skull from old Track days, but a lot of simple missteps can be avoided by a simple glance over the shoulder now and then...or once a year.

I absolutely love my career in Social Media Marketing because I love the challenge of change. Good thing, too, because this year I not only turned 30, but am pregnant again. Believe me, if you can't welcome change you have about as much business being in Social Media as you do being pregnant. (That's like...no business.)

As I review the years best Blogs (in my favorites, anyway), I am once again amazed at how the landscape of Social Media changes so vastly and rapidly. Look at Twitter. What did you honestly think of it last December. Now, you can't avoid thinking of it. The standout winner of progress this year is indefinitely Facebook. I've been rooting for Facebook for a while now, and even though Twitter has the buzz a-buzzing...it's really going to have to come up with some whammy apps and developments if it wants to take on the book of face. The demographics of Tweeters and Facebookers are slowly aligning. Will it be necessary to have both? Just my educated take.

Search, my friends, is on fire. We all know the importance of being up on your 'Google' if you want online success, but up on your 'Social?' Real time search is the new wave. It will push those that are not already hooked on social media to be involved just to survive in the market. When given the choice to search for current or NOW...what would you choose? Human curiosity can barely stand it's self as it is...we have to know and be in the know. Trust me, be in the social media search light.

Video speaks for itself. The first thing I do when a commercial makes me bust a gut is share the link to it on YouTube on my Facebook and Twitter. If you are a company trying to make headway within Social Media and you don't have an established theme and plan for video then forget it. Interactive apps are going to start becoming more prevalent on Facebook, and you're site is going to lose traction if you don't have it. Don't just copy to keep up with the big boys, because it will translate as a desperate attempt to be a part of their wake. Look inside your business, your brand, yourself, and find what makes you and/or your company or brand move. What fuels it? Once you find it, make it original. Spin it to coincide with the rest of your mission statement.

Finally, don't underestimate the power of good customer service. When my computer caught a virus this week, because of something I clicked online, I almost melted down. One, because I of all people with a trained eye should have know better, and second because my computer is just as much of a lifeline as my cell phone. Never have I been so impressed by the Geek Squad as they broke down the steps of how to fix it. And I did. I fixed it myself. Here is an entity seemingly not in it to rip my face off to fix my computer, but to help me understand what happened and how to correct it. Knowledge is power, my friends.

The same results are achieved with Social Media everyday. It's the perfect outlet for customers to ask questions and place gripes. They expect a scripted answer or their comment to be deleted just like I expected to have my face ripped off to service my computer. When you floor them with helpful advice...when you go the extra mile to be helpful and inform them beyond what they asked for...that's when you gain major traction in Social Media. That's when you gain and keep customers. That's when those customers spread the word.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, readers!

Looking onward to the changes of 2010.