A metaphor for life + business

I have once again realized that my life is one big fat mashup of lifestyle and my business. It is a constant kinetic metaphor. It's not as quaint as a box of chocolates. It's more like the sanguine cliche of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly...or something like that.

Huh? Here's a scenario that I have become quite accustomed to (I am sure many of you can relate): you're giving a presentation on social media to a group of straight suits in a windowless, cold conference room. Your presentation is great- you have case studies, facts, screen shots, interactive windows-the whole nine, just to demonstrate the potency of social media today. And to tie it all in, you go a step further, and customize your presentation with a thorough SWOT analysis of said company- and highlight how an integrated social media campaign will benefit them. At this point, it seems illogical to doubt that this is the best way to go. Wrong.

Now, let's examine the group you're presenting to. In my case, it's almost always a room full of men. Their reality is pretty straight and narrow. Most of them stare, eyes glazed over, wondering when is this nice young lady going to stop talking- I am interfering with tee time. Some look at me like "aw, that's cute, she has 'managing partner' on her business card". The rest are noticeably enthusiastic- they hang on to your every word, and when you are finished, they say " My sentiments exactly, Natalie. You've nailed it. This is something we have to definitely keep our eye on....." This is the group I am most troubled by.

Now for fair argument's sake, my company, black lotus, is the new kid on the block, so when we have a meeting with a prospective or even a current client, believe me, we pull out all the stops. We do our homework. And we devise a plan that far surpasses anything they have ever imagined. It's funny, the execution is not the hard part, it's the conceptualizing (at least in my opinion). This new kid gets paid to think. Nonetheless, being a new company does not mean being 'wet behind the ears' (ha ha, another metaphor), and between myself, my savvy business partner, and the few folks we work with, we have enough collective experience to know that "keep our eyes on this.." or anything along those lines is secret corporate code for "what the f$&k does social media have to do with me? This is airy fairy. We're not doing this unless we have to."

So why does this particular group trouble me? Well, the first two groups are so blind to change, and distracted by the superficial, that they cannot even recognize evolution- it's almost like a handicap. It is what it is. But for the latter, change only becomes inevitable when a thorough cost-benefit analysis justifies it. It's like going to the bathroom- only because you have to do it. Usually by then, it's too late.

Now, part of me can understand their hesitation. Brands have been doing the same thing the same way for years, and in its heyday, it has worked. Take my shell of a previous life- before the advent of Facebook and Twitter, hell, even text messaging, I connected, networked and shared the good 'ol fashioned way. And it worked (for the most part). So, I can see how companies justify their stale approach to marketing with the six-figure budgets they spend on tv, print, radio ads and their focus groups. And their banner ads. If they're feeling real saucy, they'll throw some change towards email marketing. Either way, they see just enough ROI to go back to shareholders to justify their tactics...it's a process that is farcical and cyclical. These companies won't take the full plunge until they see the direct impact of NOT participating in social media. Ok, I see. Afterall, my first introduction to social media came many moons ago when I realized I was missing out on great conversation and happenings. By then, I had to play super catch up, and practically OD on the stuff to give myself an edge.

Fast forward to now. Social media is part of the fabric of my life. I understand the value and importance of word-of-mouth, relevancy and connectivity (my company's motto is "the relentless pursuit of connection). I cannot imagine how I can exist as a person or a brand (yes, I said it, brand. We're all brands, but that's to be discussed later) without some form of social media. And as a company owner, I use these social tools to build my brand, pick up clients, and engage in markets, etc. I have to, the survival of my brand and my business relies on it. And I am no different than many of the small- to medium- sized businesses out there who are progressive. We get the message: change or die.

So I am willfully optimistic, especially in this economy, that bigger companies will be more get the message as well and will begin to integrate social media into their marketing mix. But mainly because they will have to. Inertia will have finally taken its toll and their market share chipped away. So what does this have to do with my life? Um, it's just funny- the vicissitudes of fate, that is. Back to my lame caterpillar/butterfly comparison: I did something, in this case, a participant of social media, because I had to. I gorged on as much of it as possible. And before I knew it, it changed my reality. Too lofty?? Yes, that's me. But think of it like this: social media adaptation for folks like you and me will continue to be a boon as we give ourselves the competitive edge. Meanwhile, the bigger companies who neglect to heed its momentum will struggle to exist in a new reality created by us. Who whould have thunk it?

So, like with anything in life- change or die.

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• Why Social Media Marketing?
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