Rob Wellman here, CEO of Social5.
By nature I’m not big on looking backwards. As an entrepreneur I like looking forward to what’s next.
One of the moments I’m looking forward to in the New Year is celebrating our company’s fifth anniversary. A company that launched quietly (like many other startups) with a few people, no clients and a strong opinion about the future needs of digital marketing for businesses of all sizes. Now that thousands of clients, across hundreds of unique verticals, have accessed our talented team over the past years I’m more excited about the next five years than ever before.
So what will the next five years hold?
Here’s what our company is betting on: There will be more connectivity for businesses of all sizes through current and undiscovered online technologies, not less. There will be more internal and outsourced support needed for businesses of all sizes looking to harness the power of social marketing and digital advertising, not less. There will be more online searches for goods and services by consumers online, not less. There will be a greater need for businesses of all sizes to deliver unique, clever, consistent and fresh digital content that helps their business initiatives outdistance their competitors; not evolving in this arena will have negative consequences for many businesses unwilling to invest in digital resources. Businesses that are a one-trick-digital-pony online (i.e. just an outdated website) will continue to get left behind and their sales will reflect their lack of online referrals and leads. We believe that more and more consumers will literally continue to ask their phone questions seeking quick answers. Is your company thinking about your own branded chatbot? Big business is already positioning for question/response platforms and creativity. In turn smaller, savvier businesses will adopt these new ideas and use them as continued digital opportunities to outpace their competition and grow their loyal customer base.
You get the idea – our company already knows what the marketplace is substantiating through investment and infrastructure – more and more digital connectivity is coming, not less. We don’t always know the shape and form it will ultimately get packaged in, but we know the momentum started at the beginning of this decade is building as consumers crave faster and easier ways to make decisions about their daily business information and needs. We hear it every day from clients seeking our help with online strategies and tools to keep their business relevant in today’s competitive digital marketplace.
That’s why I’m bullish on Social5’s trajectory. Five years ago our company bet that many businesses would struggle with the time, expertise, creativity and budgets it takes to keep up with a comprehensive, professional, effective and leading online presence.
I can’t wait to revisit this email in 2021 and see what we missed and what we got right. Man, that sounds like way into the future, but in 2011so did writing an email like this to end the year in 2016.
Thanks to all of our amazing clients and our incredible team of employees for another successful year in the life of Social5. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.
