SOCIAL MEDIA IN 2012 IS LIKE HAVING A BEEPER IN 1995

Being the only girl in the family had it's perks growing up.  This was very true when my parents gifted me a BEEPER!!! It was the Motorola Bravo Plus model; I FLIPPED OUT!!!! I could now easily communicate with my friends whenever I wanted. 

Immediately, I began to learn beeper codes and developed beeper codes with my friends. 

Remember these? 

07734, Hello. 

143, I love you. 

411, Need info. 

In 1994,  pagers, or as we cool kids called them, BEEPERS, were all the rage, with 61 million pagers in use. 

I remember thinking how on earth I ever communicated with my friends BEFORE having a beeper?

Flash forward to the year 2012...

Nearly a sixth of the WORLD'S population, or ONE BILLION people, are ACTIVE users on Facebook, logging on at least one time per month. Now we all fluent in LOL speak and are all like OMG and FTW. 

We share photos, locations, life milestones and now organ donor status. Now I think, how on earth did I ever communicated with my friends before Facebook and other social media platforms? People are meeting and being connected to each other virtually using social media.  

398 million users have been active on Facebook on at least six of the last seven days as of March 2012. If those numbers aren't sexy enough, consider 488 million people accessed Facebook through their mobile phone just last month, you heard me. 

Facebook has facilitated, in a virtual space, 125 BILLION friendship connections as of March 2012. 

There are approxiatmely 3.2 BILLION "likes" and comments generated by users PER DAY during the first quarter of 2012. 

THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD GRAB THE ATTENTION OF ALL BUSINESS OWNERS & MANAGERS, ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESSES. 

See, having a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a Pinterest board, a LinkedIn page, etc. IS like having a beeper in 1995. 

This communications revolution has sped up not only the volume and pace of information that is instantly consumable but ALSO for the first time in the history of humanity, ANYONE can add information, therefore leaving our own permanent marks on the intrawebs, forever leaving notes, photos, stories, conversations and lifetime's worth of history: a legacy.

A LOT of speculation has taken place surrounding the Facebook's landmark IPO last week. Critics say look, the stock lost value in its opening days, that Facebook isn't "cool" anymore. However, the naysayers or resisters should look at the numbers, they speak for themselves. 

I will say it here again: SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT GOING AWAY. 

It is to the advantage of every business, organization and group to build online communities to develop and share content, engage their communities and educate consumers about their brand. Brands who don't use these tools will miss out the opportunity to build DIRECT relationships with consumers. Brands who do build communities will be successful at creating customer loyalty and repeat customers. 

MENTORS = SECRET SAUCE TO SUCCESS

When the up and comers start excelling, it’s usually because they applied the adage: work harder than everyone else and pick yourself up when you fail. What is left out of this formula is to seek the advice of those you admire in order to accelerate your growth and development. This is especially true when overcoming obstacles and failures.

MEET WITH A MENTOR

I had the opportunity to chat with someone I look up to this Tuesday morning, Mr. Michael Hernandez. {Follow him on Twitter @hernandezMA5} Mike is a hired gun for the local Democratic Party, also advising political campaigns throughout Latin American and Caribbean.  I was stoked to meet him for coffee and pick his brain about my prospects and ask him for advice on a multitude of issues. He helped me gain a different perspective, assured me that I was on the right track and shared his experiences… So grateful for his feedback!

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MENTOR?

See, I sought Mike out because I knew he would give me an unbiased opinion; he’s been in my shoes and I knew I had plenty to learn from him. It’s so important to seek out mentors who will help answer your questions and unlock those “AH-HA!” moments, to attain higher levels of understanding.

HOW TO SEEK OUT MENTORS

Who do you already know in your network who is successful? Those should be your role models. Invite them for coffee. Get them to tell you their story, their war stories of their successes AND failures.

“Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.”-Og Mandino

The best advice I can offer to those seeking out mentors is to remain humble and never miss the opportunity to ask questions. Opportunities, by nature, are fleeting. Seize every chance, every opening, and every possibility. This is your greatest challenge as a mentee.

BECOME A MENTOR

Do you do something really well? You should make yourself available to those who seek you out and ask about your work. Be authentic and lend a sympathetic ear to their challenges and offer up words that you would have wanted someone to share with you in that moment. Be kind but always honest.

As we grow and develop ourselves, brands and businesses, it is crucial to our survival to be mentors to the next wave of players, lest we lose out to others more willing to teach.

MENTORSHIP RESOURCES

-Known nationally as “Counselors to America’s Small Businesses”, SCORE has a branch in Miami, which matches entrepreneurs and small business owners with FREE business advice.

-Make a difference in the life of a child! Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Find out how here.

QUESTION TO MY READERS: What has been the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received from a mentor?