Hey Young World, The World Is Yours!

If  you are in your 30’s like myself, you may have thought back to the late 80’s hit by Slick Rick, “Hey Young World“!  Just as the memory of that song brought about the melodic chorus to your mind’s ear, the use of Social Media is music to the ears of those who are truly engaged and realize the scope and power of Social Media.

I have been in the field of Marketing since 2002, in that time there have been numerous changes in the field.  I secured a position at a Marketing/Customer Acquisition Firm in Charlotte, NC.  I was impressed by the cerebral approach they took to marketing.  The main goal was lead generation which was done through a marketing mix of internet lead gen, SEO,  print and media.  We analyzed the most insignificant factors to see how they would effect our Marketing efforts.  We were a cutting edge firm that prided ourselves on staying ahead of the competiton beccause we were always prepared.

I was promoted to the positon of Regional Marketing and Sales Director for the Southern California Region.  I ran up and down the coast, creating promotions and coming up with ideas for successful Marketing strategies for our clients.  With the backing of my home office and their marketing research data, I felt there was no way I could go wrong.  2008, enter the drop in the economy, the uncertainty of the direction of the new leadership of our country coupled with rampant job loss and you had an environment where if your industry was dependent on consumer purchasing habits there was a level of uncertainty. Marketing campaigns were not as succesful, leads decreased and in the end I was laid off.

As I started applying for jobs, I realized that the Marketing field changed.  While I was a Regional Rep, I used Facebook to keep others updated on where my day to day travels took me, the crazy people I would meet while on the road and the occasional GPS malfunctions that would have me wandering all over California.  I noticed that companies were using Facebook to market products, field complaints or suggestion from customers and also lead focus groups.  Although I had a Twitter account I barely used it because I didn’t know how to say I felt Twitter was a breeding ground for ego-maniacs in 140 Characters. Now almost every major company has a Twitter account.  I created a Linkedin account for networking purposes, but I never really used it to it’s fullest, now 48% of HR recruiters search Linkedin prior tpo viewing a job board. (Me 2.0, Dan Schawbel)

Social Media has and cotimues to reshape the way society communicates, socializes, stays informed and also shops.  Facebook can no longer be dismissed as a young peoples fad, Twitter has turned into a job board, Linkedin “IS” your resume now.  Social Media Marketing firms like Social Living and Groupon have placed small businesses on the same playing field as large companies, so much so prior to creating their own Social Media Discount division Google Offers, Google offered to purchase Groupon for $6 Billion dollars and was declined. So there’s no future in Social Media huh? Facebook aided in a political revolution! Since 2008 Groupon has seen drastic growth there are in 500 markets in 44 countries!

When you master the art of Social Media, the world is yours, there’s no limit to the things you can accomplish. So join me on this journey as I keep you informed on the new trends, how to brand yourself through the use of Social Media and give you a behind the scenes look at how I use Social Media in my daily life.  Welcome to the journey!

Juan De Cruz, Jr.