Buried in a Tech World: Part 2 –Business Challenge

(Check out Part 1 –Personal Challenge if you haven’t already read it!)

As discussed in Part 1, everyone’s submerged in their technology nowadays and they forget to stop and notice the world around them. What does this phenomena mean for your client or business? It means that gaining attention is more difficult than ever before. To succeed in today’s market you must, as Seth Godin termed, become a Purple Cow. You need to find a way to become remarkable. You must learn to stand out and differentiate yourself in order to draw people out of their tech entrenched bubbles.

Or, better yet, go to your customers in their tech worlds; join them and stand out on their interfaces. Today’s social media is becoming more and more popular with all customer demographics (infographic). Reach out to your followers and build a tribe…It’s time to integrate social media strategies into your integrated marketing communication plan.

Stop relying solely upon traditional media in which you push your message through interruption. You should now work on permission marketing by engaging consumers. Invite them to participate, to interact, to join. Check out 13 social media trends for 2013 here, and decide which will work best for your brand or company. How could you leverage some of them to help you stand out online? How can you use these to bridge the gap between traditional mediums and online mediums, to draw consumer attention and get them to pay attention? It’s all about being bold, being different, and speaking directly to those you want to reach.

So how will your business become a Purple Cow?

Buried in a Tech World: Part 1 –Personal Challenge

How much snow was on that tree in your front yard when you left the house this morning? Was your neighbor’s car sitting in their driveway? What color shirt was the secretary wearing when you arrived at work? Oh, that’s right, you don’t recall because you were ‘plugged in’ and switched into autopilot mode as soon as you woke. How unfortunate that your life is passing you by and you aren’t even paying attention to it.

Today I challenge you to the following; see something routine in a new and different light.

Today’s world has become so fast passed and technology ensconced, that people have forgotten how to take time and notice the world around them. They’ve got earbuds in their ears, smartphones in their hands, and their minds anywhere but in the here and now. It’s time to slow down, take a step backwards, and just take a few moments during your busy day to actually perceive the world around yourself.

Personally, I actively seek to make this a daily habit of mine. Sure I ride the same route to work everyday, but rather than zoning out, I focus in on the things I pass by. Of course, many of the things I notice are often inconsequential. Once you train your mind to start doing this though, you’ll start to notice useful things, or even start to appreciate the unseen beauty that is all around. One way I like to facilitate this habit is through the use of a camera. It’s amazing how different the world can look when you stick a lens filter between it and you…when you’re truly looking at what is around you, searching for a way to capture the natural splendor.

And so I tell you, it’s time to stop looking… and start seeing instead.

So how do you take breaks from today's tech world? What's something new that you've notice lately? Drop a comment below and share!
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Please check back on Sunday for Buried in a Tech World: Part 2- Business Challenge