Just a few weeks left in 2012. Time to start thinking and planning for 2013.

While I’m sure social media in some way is a part of your marketing plan, how big will you make it in 2013? Will you be doing what you’re doing now? Or will you be doing even more?

“The ROI of Social Media is Your Business Will Still Exist in 5 years.”
- Erik Qualman

Yep, that’s the reality of social media. If you want to be in business 5 years from today, you had better plan on incorporating social media into your marketing – big time.

Why? Tomorrow’s consumers are growing up in a social world. They won’t just use it; they’ll live it.

Kindergartens are learning on iPads, not chalkboards.

And of course parents – being good parents of course – understand this is the world their kids will live in. So they’re trying to keep up as fast as they can.

69% of parents are “friends” with their children on social media.

But all of that isn’t the biggest takeaway I took from this video.

Think about that for a moment.

As people increase their knowledge, multitask, and find new things to do, they head to Google to find out more about it. New things are developed all the time  – 6 months ago, you would have had no need to type in things like “How to use Microsoft surface keyboard”. A year ago, a search for “creating a motivational Pinterest board” didn’t exist in most people’s minds.

Yet today, Pinterest receives over 16 million searches every month on Google.

Yep, that’s how fast things change.

As technology changes, so does the way people use technology. And its not just in new areas. Your business is being affected every day as well.

Whether you are selling insurance, fixing cars, or promoting a band, the way you reach out to your potential customers is changing every day.

That’s why blogging is so important. That’s why using social accounts like Facebook and Pinterest are so important. Its not just about “chatting” with people. Its about using the accounts in the correct way – a way that will leverage what you do and bring in customers and profits on a regular basis. Its also about providing the necessary content that’s relevant to both your readers and to people searching for you in Google.

 Dig Deeper: It’s The Easiest, Most Profitable Way To Talk About Your Small Business

If you stick with the old methods, you’ll be left behind. Remember:

“The ROI of Social Media is Your Business Will Still Exist in 5 years.”
- Erik Qualman