With the recent events in social media, I am lucky to remember a time when we did without. When we only had one phone per household, only a few major channels on the television, and we had a separate camera. We did not have the pressure of looking good in every photo. The business world was less demanding, we did not expect a yes or no answer that very day. We respected each other’s time. Today’s technology dominates our modern life, is that good or bad?
In my early days of selling radio, we did not have cellphones, we used pay phones, which were usually set up on the corner of a gas station. Our presentations were done without power point. Demo commercials were played on a tape cassette using a big boom box and commercials were put on reel to reel. We shared commercials with other radio stations by taking the time to drive and hand deliver the reel to the other station.
Businesses promoted their products and services through radio, print, television, billboards, or direct mail. It seemed like tough competition but in realty it was not near as competitive as today with the ability to reach millions of people on the internet. Selling without social media was a relationship built by cold calling, getting through the gate keeper and being sure you never were late or missed an appointment. Trusting relationships seemed easier to build with your client. Expectations were realistic, we even used the dictionary and thesaurus when editing our presentation. I also know it is much easier to be a good listener when you are face to face.
The digital revolution was a difficult transaction. Dial-up internet, the advent of texting, going from mobile phones to cellphones. The demand for websites, emailing replacing faxing. Digital records in place of paper and the list goes on. It was the transition into the tech atmosphere that contributed to consumers pending habits. With just a click buying was easy and your packages delivered in just a few days. Businesses were learning about reach and frequency; they could reach millions quickly in several different ways and they could do so cost efficiently. A digital landscape included a user-friendly website and upgraded IT software. Paper was a thing of the past and your data was stored and backed up to the cloud. Small businesses started learning how to sell on Facebook with giveaways, contests, and live videos.
The big surprise with using the likes of a social media platform meant that your marketing content was no longer owned by the business and just recently we are beginning to see that it can be taken away as easy as it was introduced. According to Jackie Owen with Social Media Marketing you’re risking negative feedback, low return on investment, time consumption, difficulty to measure return on investment, and security and privacy issues.
Personally, I love being hooked up with friends and family. If the Internet were regulated against destroying one’s life, I would say it is a fantastic tool, but honestly years ago were simpler and easier to achieve one’s goals. But that is just me, it certainly is something to think about.
Chris Compton is a recently retired multimedia broadcast sales executive living in Princeton. She can be reached at tsloup@shawmedia.com