Stand Out By Being Genuine

Over the past few days I have been writing about topics that were ‘hot’ or ‘trended’ on Twitter and Facebook in 2010. Honestly, it left me frustrated and, in a bizarre way, motivated.

Frustrated because the topics that are top trending include Justin Bieber and more distractions from real world issues. I get that people want to escape but to proclaim social media as the next “uniter of people to do good in the world” is a bit premature and probably just not possible at all.

So I started to think about the local business and the SMB Internet marketing space in general and got excited. Why? It’s because there is a real opportunity to stand out amongst all the empty chatter by being something that will look very different these days: genuine.

We work so hard to look and act like everyone else in life and in business that we sacrifice our individuality in the process. As a result, our business looks like every other business then we wonder why no one is noticing.

Pledge to yourself to inject your personality into your business. Don’t mistake this for being the “All smile all the time spokesperson” that most normal people can see through in a heartbeat. Be yourself. Let your business be itself. Stop trying to please the masses because most of them are not listening anyway and most are not even your target audience.

Being an SMB gives you great opportunity to be quick and nimble. To respond to opportunity. Take a chance and do it this year. Get out of the mainstream and make your own stream. I bet people will want to join you.