The SM Train is Leaving.....

Morning Everyone,

I write this post as I sit perched at my desk, a supremely heightened sense of anticipation and excitement flowing through each blood vessel. Chances are, if you are reading this then you are most likely a "SM prophet." One of the individuals who has been championing the cause of SM as a viable way to drive business forward. We've talked about it with friends and associates in coffee houses. We've written presentations and used our silver tongues to convince powerful executives that SM is here to stay. How much have we accomplished?

Now, the wind is changing. It is time for the prophesy to be fulfilled. Large corporations will have no choice but to incorporate social media into their advertising/PR budget. Why? Because it is quickly becoming the face, or entity the customers interact with on a regular basis. Ask yourself this question, "If I have the chance to do business with a company who I'm connected with via FB, one who immediately responds to my questions on Twitter and has an online presence, or one who has left the SM world totally neglected and unattended. Which will you favor? We all know the answer....

Think of the possibilities! Instant transactions for consumers. Discourse between you and your favorite brand. Feedback from customers which is quite possibly more valuable than the individual sale itself. We could continue discussing this for days...literally days. The ripple effects are mind numbing.

Listen up large corporations, you need to start looking for talent, and you need to start looking for it now! Why? Because there is chatter happening now with a #hashtag that has your company name all over it. What if a consumer has a negative experience and tells all his/her followers? What if you have no damage control in place? If you don't exist on SM, soon your business won't exist period.

One last thing, and I'll let you ponder this. Yesterday, I was driving to meet a friend, and as it was a long drive, my Zune died. Since I left my laptop at home this was frustrating. I grabbed my phone and tweeted, "Need a car charger for my #zune. Please bill my account and send me one. *slicktunes*"

Microsoft has my information, I'm a subscriber to their service. Has Microsoft Zune responded to my tweet yet? The answer is a resounding NO. Why?! No one is listening. See where this is going..? Consumers will be able to make a purchase simply by blasting a tweet into the Twitterverse. Please leave some comments as I'm interested to see what you think as you let this marinate.