Remember when you first joined Twitter, created a Facebook page or signed up for a LinkedIn profile? I bet the first thing you did was look at what everyone else was doing and copy them. Makes sense! You didn’t know what you were doing, so copying what everyone else was doing on there is the common sense approach.
The problem is that most people in business are wrong, about everything! Consider the following numbers…Let’s relate them to small businesses in the UK.
1 4 15 60 80
So, what relevancy do these numbers have to UK small businesses? Well…
1% of businesses are absolutely soaring! They are achieving all their goals and are super successful. Good for them!
4% of businesses are on their way to super success! They are well renowned in their industry.
15% of businesses are doing well. They are making year on year profits but there’s still plenty of scope for growth.
60% of businesses are keeping their heads above water. They’re making small profits.
20% of businesses are struggling. They are not making a profit.
That means, at any one time, 80% of UK small businesses are either keeping their heads above water or struggling. So most businesses are wrong about everything they do!
The same is true on social media. 80% of UK small businesses are winning very little or no business through social media. Yet what do you do when you sign up? Copy what everyone else is doing! Yet, the majority are doing it wrong!
Instead you should seek out the 20% who are seeing regular business through social media. Even better, look for the 1% who are getting constant business through social media. What are they doing to achieve that success. They should be the people you copy, not the majority!
Social media is used by the majority of businesses now, which means you’re in even more competition to be heard. Stop copying what everyone is doing and start standing out! Then you’ll be well on your way to leaving the 80% behind!
