Consider this…
57% of the US population now has a smartphone. (comScore)
“As of December 2012, 67% of online adults use social networking sites.” (Pew Internet Study)
This means that if you have any customers that use a social media site, and have a smartphone in their pocket, you have a buyer with a voice.
…
Seriously stop and think about that.
Potentially every single one of your clients is armed with a virtual megaphone, and even in the midst of this profound shift, some business owners will question whether or not they need to worry about it.
Here’s the truth:
- If you are a local business with local customers, you need to worry about this.
- If you are a large brand with a reputation to protect, you need to worry about this.
- If you are a company with something to hide, start thinking about how to explain it.
- If you have an audience under 70 years old, you need to start thinking about this.
Gone are the days where screwing up got quietly swept under the rug. Gone are the days where word of mouth was only spread…via the mouth. Now people have a direct connection to their networks and can pass along good news and bad news within seconds. Recommendations from friends carry more weight than any other form of marketing we know of.
With the undeniable trend toward smartphone adoption and social media ubiquity I would contend that if you have yet to think about how these trends affects your business, you are either already too late, or getting dangerously close to missing your chance.
Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that this fad will pass. I’d love to hear from someone who disagrees. Forward this to the skeptics.