Cover Story: Surviving the social explosion
1 Dec, 2009 By: Daniel G. Jacobs Landscape ManagementThink of social media like a game system — Xbox, Nintendo or PlayStation – that has been around since the early '80s. The games change, and the systems become more sophisticated, but the premise remains strong and increasingly popular. Like game systems that may have been a young person's game once, social media is expanding its reach rapidly.
 ILLUSTRATION BY: ISTOCK INTERNATIONAL INC. |
It might seem easy to dismiss the trend as a time-wasting nuisance that will soon sit unused and forgotten as quickly as this year's must-have holiday toy. But social media isn't simply a new tool for business, although it certainly can and should be used to enhance your marketing efforts. Social media is the way an entire generation communicates. Few technological advances have been adopted so widely and quickly as the tools of social media.
How big is it? Twitter is the top word in 2009, surpassing Obama, H1N1 and stimulus, according to the Global Language Monitor.
 "It's one of the most exciting tools in business. It creates a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE at low cost or no cost, almost instantaneously." — Judith Guido, Owner Guido & Associates |
Whether you're seeking customers or employees who'll serve them, Green Industry businesses need to update their statuses, blog their opinions, tweet their whereabouts and post their videos for clients, suppliers, employees and the community around them. Ignoring the social media explosion will limit growth opportunities and could erode operations. What makes social media compelling is that it's inexpensive, easy, real-time communication.
Many businesses are taking a cautious approach to social media, dipping their toes into the Internet pool to see if they want to swim.
"It was exploding all around us, and we thought we might as well get one foot in this and see what it's all about before everyone is in it and we're behind the times," says Maria Candler, president of James River Grounds Management in Richmond, VA.
 "If someone doesn't know you, they have a friend who knows you. IT'S AUTOMATIC TRUST." — SCOTT PARKER, Owner Parker Homescape |
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