Planting Seeds for Future Growth

When planting seeds for future growth in Business expectations can be high.  As an Entrepreneur or Business your focus is always on growth.  Ad campaigns will flourish and fail, while others lay dormant, waiting for the opportune time.  The seemingly small actions we take today speak large volumes in our overall presence online.  Exposure on social media is critical in todays world.  Just as it was in newspapers & magazines of yesteryear.

The hand shake and “did you hear about …” from yesterday’s business world has now turned into a click of your mouse and a like,love or thumbs up.  If you happened to be shared you are hitting the big time!  Waiting for your advertisement to show up in a newspaper or magazine was ‘front page news’ for your business, even though it was several pages in. Today you worry about SEO and how can I rank higher.  How many words could you afford in a newspaper? Was there room for a graphic in your budget?  Now it’s what key words will rank and you’d better have a picture or you might not be noticed!  Crisis came when the publisher botched a spelling or phone number.  Our cut off time for this weeks ad is… did you make it in time? Today we click edit and post whenever we want. Gone are the days of yesteryear…

The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal are now Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Opening your front door to grab your newspaper and enjoy it with a cup of coffee as you begin your day.  Now we roll out of bed and start scrolling with our thumbs as we grab that first cup.  The wet newspaper or missed delivery is now forgetting to plug your phone in or not having enough bars.  The must see advertisements in newspaper ‘center sections’ is now literally found somewhere on every page online.   Newspapers however could be used for more than just news – lining litter boxes, wrapping valuables during a move.  A brithday gift wrapped in the comic section brings back memories!  Or the section you never looked at that could be used for cleaning windows (that’s a tip if you never tried it).  So many other uses for newspapers but now you can’t do that with a digital version.  Try playing fetch with your cell phone, that’s one I’d enjoy seeing someone try!

The seeds we used to plant actually grew into trees.  Today planting seeds are the subtle reminders that someone out there is speaking their mind.  Quietly making themselves known to Google and Bing.  The good news is no need for water.  The bad news is if you don’t participate enough you will not grow! The fertilizer for our seeds of yesteryear have been replaced by an emoji or a share.  While newspapers could rank their following by paid subscriptions, today we rank ourselves by followers and likes!  Oh have the ‘Times’ changed – but the end result is still the same.

We once looked forward to award winning journalists to bring us the latest and greatest news -now we look forward to what our friends and followers have to share.  The famous journalist who lived for accreditation amongst his peers is now which of our friends and followers liked our post or tweet.

Yet we all are journalists planting seeds for future growth.  We each have a voice to share and a story to tell.  A message that can be so powerful yet often is so humbling.  Not every award winning journalist had every article recognized.  The hours and time spent into creating the ‘best work yet’ often left them with nothing but the will to try again.  It is no different in today’s online frenzy of look at me.  That post you thought would go viral often leaves you wondering why it wasn’t liked or shared.  Yet the post of what someone had for lunch gets loved & re-tweeted … so much for breaking news in our modern day world.  Either way your audience must approve in order for you to have success.

So as we are Subtly planting seeds for future growth on social media, striving for that front page headline, just remember someone is always watching.  The great articles of yesteryear were proof read before going to press to ensure it was viewer friendy.  Today our impulsive reactions are broadcast without the need for politically correct censorship.  That is until our social media police lays down the law.  Years ago the public thrived on the journalist who ‘told it like it is’.  Walking into the office with your newspaper folded under your arm “Hey did you see what …wrote in today’s column?” Knowing that you were ‘in the know’ made you part of the office watercooler conversation.  Today as you ‘scroll’ into the office announcing “Hey did you see what … tweeted or posted?” Your liable to hear “no I don’t follow them” unless of course you are all on the same page. Of course today the watercooler conversation is ‘don’t be caught standing around doing nothing’.

When planting seeds for future growth, the seeds planted along our journey are all part of a broader picture.  As they fall, the online marketing greenhouse starts creating that forest for your trees.   Connecting the dots from the past to present with cyber speed when you or your business finally are today’s hot topic! When your irrisistable offer, digital product, or video finally goes viral the seeds that were planted will all start to thrive. Likes, Loves, Shares and Tweets will be your front page news or Pulitzer Prize Award!  The search engine frenzy will begin.   Inquisitive minds diving into the channels of google and bing to gain knowledge of this newborn legend.  Conversations will turn to “I’ve been following them for years, it was just a matter of time”.  Your headline news in today’s cyber world!  And now your lunch is more important than that post by that aspiring visionary trying to get noticed.

Remember each seed may not start to grow until the timing is right.  And when they do the forest will spread.   Our actions today may not bloom until tomorrow, next month or next year.  However keep in mind our creative journalism is an open window for which the world will see.  Those once seemingly small actions we took in the past will now speak in volumes larger than life.  Not like that folded newspaper on the doorstep of yesteryear!

My Best to you on your journey to success!

Rick

CEO of Worksmarter4u

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