I was recently surprised when my co-worker mentioned that his son, a high school student in Plano TX, was learning Social Media Marketing strategies in his high school class. Woah! He’s 16 years old! Having just been in a social media marketing workshop myself with 40 year olds who honestly all looked completely lost, this scared me a bit. Why? Well, it’s because the kids are getting more educated about business and marketing strategies at the high school level than most grown business owners out there working in the “real world”. Furthermore, in less than 5 years they will be joining the workforce as our competition!
Clearly the board of education in Texas saw a sufficient need to initiate this training as early as high school. Our young people are being groomed to have a competitive edge in business. So, this means we grown folk need to step it up. We have to be just as informed and adaptable to new technology as the rising graduates. We must master the same strategies they are learning in order to promote business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram. This is where the workforce is heading, and to remain competitive you must stay ahead of your knowledge gaps and your competition! This is indeed the age of either having a strong online presence or dying out completely. 
Granted, when we were in High school, these classes were not even an option for us. Social Media training did not exist! Therefore, it seems like high school students today have an unfair advantage. You’re probably working very hard to get the word out about your business the only way you know how, and thus are using “outdated” methods. If you’re sending out flyers, selective emails from a mailing list, or even hitting the pavement yourself to promote your business, you are likely being surpassed by competitors despite your sweat and tenacity. Maybe you even hired an energetic college student to spin a sign on the street corner in front of passing cars; yet, you’re still not seeing the results you had hoped for. It’s just not that easy anymore, and with social media continuing to take over as a product marketplace, it will only become harder. Believe me I get it! All day long we speak with business owners and executives who have the same problems-how to reach mass audiences and be seen before their competition.
So, let’s not play the victim card or cry over spilt milk. It is what it is, this is how we market now – within the world of Social Media. We simply have more learning and catching up to do than ever, just to be seen by potential consumers in the current market. It’s all about working smarter, not harder. God forbid someone falls behind and their numbers take a hit just because they were too stubborn to change, or to learn something new!
Now that you know this terrifying news, and that something must change in your current marketing strategy, how do you get started?
Well, there are several training workshops out there, and many are designed for the working professional. It’s not the same level of commitment as going back to school, so you can breathe a little easier. We have many excellent short and affordable courses on TrainUp.com, ranging from only one day to five days in length. We have workshop titles such as: Social Media Marketing: 2 Day Workshop, and Social Media Boot Camp. To browse all of our social media classes, click here.
You can also give us a call and speak to one of our staff to help you determine which classes are right for you. We are happy to assist you with this! We are here for you Monday thru Friday from 8am-5pm CST. Call us at 866-540-9677.
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