It’s 1929. George, a successful star of silent films, is sitting in his studio’s production office while his studio chief plays for him the reels from the “new” type of cinema:  film with sound.

“That’s the future,” his studio chief tells him. “If that’s the future,” George scoffs, “you can keep it.”

In the Academy Award-winning film, The Artist, George resists the transition to sound, but comes to realize what that means for his career.

We all know change is inevitable.  How we choose to respond to it can make the difference between failure and success.

Fast forward to today.  I’m sitting in the office of a client, discussing ways she can promote her business online.  The topic of Social Networking comes up. Her initial reaction is resistance.  ‘I’m not comfortable with social networking – I don’t understand it.”

I encounter it frequently with my clients: a desire to embrace new ways to promote their businesses, but a resistance because it’s such unfamiliar territory.

Like George, we feel more comfortable with what worked for us in the past. For many of us, that includes: telephone conversations, person-to-person contact, print advertising and direct mail.   Increasingly, these have given way to new formats such as email, blog posts, or the focus on acquiring “friends” and “likes”. The changes arrived quickly, and we don’t have the same sense of control over costs and delivery.  And for many of us baby boomers, social networking challenges our values of privacy and behavior.

But more and more, I see the resistance give way to the desire and determination to learn new methods.  And that doesn’t surprise me, because, after all– we’re baby boomers.  Although we’re used to paving the way, ultimately we’re survivors.  We know how to adapt and prevail.

So if you’re feeling a bit like George when you consider taking the “plunge” into social media marketing, here are some things to remember:

• Social media marketing offers the opportunity to connect with your target market in ways that have never been available in the past.
• You have options with Social Media.  You can find a method that is the right fit for you.
• Once you do get the “hang” of it, social media is fun, efficient and effective.

There are many ways to embrace change. And like George, we can find our “comfort zone” – one that allows us to use our true voice, so to speak (pun intended!).

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What are your thoughts?  I’d love to hear them, so please feel free to share them below.  And if you’re ready to explore ways to share your true “voice” online, I invite you to explore our services or contact me for a free consult.