7 years ago I found Social Media Marketing pretty
fascinating, and wrote a few articles on my brand new blog about the subject. Since then SMM has become HUGE!
This is how I saw it then. (Funny how I tend to run in 7's)
I am brand new to the Social Media business. About 7 months ago I
signed onto Facebook after being told about it by a friend. I spent less
than 30 minutes on line the day I opened up a profile. I then did not
go onto the internet for days. I reopened the page and found I still had
none of these cyber-friends I believed would appear. That day quite by
chance I stumbled upon a business site . Similar to Facebook but for
business. I was curious so joined and then saw it was a paying site. I
still filled in a few details, absolute bare contact details in fact. I
went back on Facebook and saw the find “friends” stuff.
I typed in some names from years gone by and was surprised to find
some old school and army friends. I then filled in the details of which
school I went to and which units I had worked with. I left it for days. I
had a bigger surprise when I opened it again, the friends request was
rather full. I made contact with people I had last seen in the 1980’s. I
went back on MyGenius and thought as soon as my finances permit it I
will upgrade and try this site out. I went on Facebook about once a
week, again finances and circumstances permitting, I was just drifting
around and using the internet cafes on occasion. Then through Facebook
contact was made with an old army mate, he asked what I was upto and I
said, “Nothing much.” He suggested I come stay in his backpackers and
help him with his Tour company. Not doing much I agreed.
At the backpackers I had access to Internet all day, and not much to
do. I opened up to find the business site had become a free site too. I
messed about for a while and then got the Section Eight Group idea. My
Facebook experience was incredible, people I should have kept contact
with but did not all found me. I am or was a very hard person to find,
notorius for disappearing for years on end. due to my moving around and
strange jobs I take on: and the fact that I never phone anyone. Well
maybe 2 people that I kept upto date, on occasion.
The point is the social side it is great to speak to old friends, and
through the Mexican becoming a popular post on my thing that is meant
to be a status report, (hell why be normal?) I now have “friends” all
over the world. I have “spoken” more in the last few months than I have
in the last 10 years. In my travels I can go to most places in South
Africa and will find a friend or two in that area, this took 5 years of
wondering around. So that side of the Social media has proved to be
amazing.
On the business side. Before I began to wander around I had a proper
job at a profession sound company. I got paid to travel this country and
set up agents for the equipment being imported. I did this well
apparently, as Music Maker Magazine kept printing article about what I
was doing. My foreign boss said I had accomplished his 5 year plan in
the agent set up division, in 2 years flat. I was never a t home, had
one then, I drove 260 000km in one car, no idea how many air miles I
accumulated. I basically lived in hotels and Guest Houses around
Southern Africa. I ate in restaurants all the time. All this cost my
boss a small fortune.
I had set up 30 odd agents in this time and not all were profitable.
Still the boss was happy and made a lot of money. This brings me to
Social Media. In 3 months I have made hundreds of contacts, learned
about things that will be helpful for my Section Eight mission daily,
and made friends with a lot of interesting people. That from daily
logging in and trying to contribute if I can, and not moving more that
12m from my bed.
Does it make me money? I am not selling anything so cannot say. Will
it make me money? Of course it will. I think if and when I find
something or somebody/business that really interests me I shall make a
bloody fortune.
Since the above was posted first in MyGenius and then SocialPress it has escalated at cyberspeed!
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