Ok Boomer and Gen Xer - It’s Time

It's time! You cannot afford to wait any longer.

I was born in 1976, placing me firmly in the X generation. We grew up without cell phones or the internet, and we played outside every single day, no matter what. I came home when the street lights turned on. Arguments can be made whether a less digital life is better or not, but that isn’t the point of this article. This article is a call to action for all of you who are business owners and who fit into the Baby Boomer or X generations. It is time!

What is it time for? Well, simply put, it is time for you and your business to get your digital house in order. You cannot wait any longer. You cannot delay, or keep saying, “I need to do more on social media…” You just simply cannot afford to wait any longer. You also cannot afford to put half efforts into your digital and content marketing. These things must happen now.

I know how you think because you are my people. Not only am I one of you, but I also have primarily served you as business owners with my business over the last 8 years. I realize digital and content marketing isn’t for everyone. Some of you have embraced it fully (Congrats!), but enough of you have put it off for years and years because it intimidates and irritates you. I understand, I have been there. I refused to use Facebook for about 10 years. I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand it. It intimidated me.

I have recently had 3 successful local business owners whose businesses are very well established in their markets, who all told me, “I need to do digital marketing better.” My mind is blown when I hear this because I assumed everyone would have already done that… like 10 years ago, or at least 3 years ago, but they haven’t. Maybe you fall into this category too. So, what is holding you back? 

On the other hand, you might be thinking, “I do digital. I have some search ads, some social media posts, I hired an SEO person”, or whatever version of half-measures you've taken. I am here to tell you, it is time to dig in. It is time to go full in! Don’t delay one more minute.

I know why you hesitate. I understand your fear and frustration, and I have felt it myself. Whatever you are doing, ask yourself, what can you do to better get and keep attention in the digital space? 

Here are some basics you need to make sure of: establish a strong Google Business Profile, along with one for both Bing Places for Business and Apple Maps Listings. You should also make sure you are getting reviews—lots of them. If your business is newer, it is ok to be in the teens, but if you are established, you should have hundreds or thousands of ratings. 

Then, you need a social media presence, something consistent and engaging. While this is good, it is not the most important reason to have social media accounts. The most important thing is to show up when your clients or potential clients are looking for you, researching you, deciding if you are the answer. Think like a consumer, but don’t assume they only think like you. Here are 12 sources that people look at when considering a business.

1. Online Reviews and Ratings

2. Website and Online Presence

3. Social Media Activity

4. Search Engine Rankings (SEO)

5. Customer Testimonials

6. Local Presence and Community Engagement

7. Transparency and Authenticity

8. Brand Consistency across all platforms

9. Professional Accreditations and Awards

10. Word of Mouth and Personal Recommendations

11. Response to Customer Feedback

12. Visual and Media Content

The second mistake I see business owners making is not consistently communicating with their clients and potential clients. Some will follow you on social media, but you need to have special communication for your clients. Email, mail, something. I know each of these takes resources, but I can promise you that if you start now, you will see an impact one year from now and a major change over the next 3 years. You honestly can’t afford not to get started.

If you would like a free Digital Presence Audit, please let us know. We will set up an in-depth evaluation of your business. It will take 3-5 days to get all the info and to let you know how you are showing up digitally. If you know us, you know our style is always no-pressure, and we are super low key. We seek to bring value and make your business life better. So, if you want to know how your business measures up in the digital world, let us know and we will do your free Digital Presence Audit with no strings attached. Let's get you on track and make sure you’ll be smiling big 3 years from now.