Ashani and Fredy Mfuko Wedding Photo by Jose Dessources Photography
I got married in the Spring of this year to a wonderful man that I met at church, and we are full throttle into the newlywed stage of marriage, which is pretty wonderful! We are members of a newlywed fellowship group at our church, and after our gathering this past Sunday, where we all shared some personal stories, I realized something. There are a lot similarities between the lessons you learn during the early stages of marriage, and those you learn during the beginning stages of marketing your business through social media. Here are five lessons I’ve learned as a newlywed, that can also help you along in your journey to social media success for your dance studio or dance business.
1) Knowledge is Power
As a Newlywed….I’ve read lots of books on relationships and marriage, and feel like I’m well-equipped to manage the complexities of marriage as a result. I obviously still have a lot to learn, but the knowledge that I’ve gained from these books, has helped me to avoid a lot of the common relationship pitfalls and marital issues that innocently creep up on you.
In Social Media….There are a plethora of resources online that teach you all about the best social media practices for your business (Mashable and Social Media Examiner are two of the best, in my opinion). If you own a dance studio, then you also have a resource that specifically addresses how dance studio owners can use social media to grow your dance studio. What matters most, no matter where you get the information from, is that you are constantly reading articles, books, or watching videos, that will teach you about the most effective ways to use social media marketing to promote your dance business. If you don’t read, and keep up with the trends, and the ever-changing culture of social media, you’re bound to make unnecessary mistakes that can potentially damage your brand’s reputation online. Avoid the pitfalls, and get the knowledge that you need. Knowledge is power.
2) There Is A Significant Learning Curve
As a Newlywed….The early years of marriage are some of the most challenging years because it’s the time where you get a crash course in learning about your partners’ personal habits and needs, their pet-peeves, their way of doing things, and so much more. All the while, you’re also learning to manage your money as a couple, making plans for starting a family, distributing household duties, balancing your careers, family gatherings, plans for the holidays, home decorating, the list goes on and on. Basically, there’s a lot going on in these early stages, which leaves a lot of room for error, but also room for significant growth as a result.
In Social Media….This same learning curve is present in your beginnings in social media because there are so many different strategies, do’s and don’ts, expectations, plus your own goals of how you’d like to grow your business through social media. However, the reality is, in the early stages, you’re going to make some mistakes, there’s going to be lots of trial and error, and it’s okay. It’s nothing to stress yourself over, and you should know that it’s all a part of the learning process, and how you grow, and establish a solid and successful social media marketing presence and campaign.
3) Never Give Up
As a Newlywed….I think we’re all very aware of the divorce statistics in the U.S., and frankly they’re pretty depressing. As a newlywed, you are excited and looking forward to this new journey with your spouse, and spending the rest of your lives together. At the same time, you would like to avoid being a part of these horrible divorce statistics. Then, out of nowhere, your partner does something that completely sends you over the edge, an argument ensues, which leads to another argument, then another, and before you know it, you’re frustrated and wondering if you have what it takes to have a successful marriage in the long term. But the answer to that, is, yes of course you can have a successful marriage in the long term, as long as you work at it, and don’t give up.
In Social Media….The same rings true for social media. Sometimes you will get into fights with the demands that social media can sometimes put on you, or get discouraged when you’re not getting the results that you want. You may even want to just give up, and completely opt out of social media because you had a bad experience online with a customer or competitor. Maybe you feel like it’s taking too much out of you, without much to show for it. My answer for you is the same as above. You can be successful in social media marketing, and grow your business, and your brand, if you work at it (consistently), and don’t give up.
4) The Rewards Are Priceless
As a Newlywed….The marital union is something that is so unique and so special, and the connection that you develop with your spouse, over time, is unlike any other relationship you’ll ever experience. When done right, the highs will always outweigh the lows, and it’s truly a beautiful thing. Open and honest communication helps you to get to know your partner intimately, and thereby give them exactly what they want. In just seven months of marriage, I’ve already begun to reap the infinite rewards of marriage, and they are truly priceless.
In Social Media….The rewards of social media are unparalleled because there’s nothing better than word of mouth advertising from your customers. Take it a step further and add that, it is shared and available worldwide, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, and you’ve just seen what a priceless reward looks like. Social media gets people talking and testifying about your company’s services or products in a way that you never could. Frankly, no one wants to hear YOU talk about how great your dance studio or dance company is, because that’s just arrogant. But they sure love to hear what your customers have to say about you. Additionally, you get direct access into the minds of your current and potential customers in such a personal way, which allows you to give them exactly what they want. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, and not something that you can put a price on.
5) You Can Learn A Lot From Other People’s Success
As A Newlywed…Our newlywed fellowship group is so awesome because we all get to learn from one another. We can talk to other couples who are further along in their marriage, and learn things from them. We can also discuss different strategies we’ve used to troubleshoot issues, and just feed off of, and be inspired by the success of other people’s marriages. The best part is hearing their personal stories of struggle to success. These types of stories always give you that extra bit of motivation when you’re going through hard times, because you know that you’re not alone, and that you will get though it, because they did.
In Social Media…I think that it is imperative that you surround yourself with people that you feel are successful in their social media marketing efforts. It could be a colleague, another business, your competitor, or just a company that you admire. Watch what they do, learn from it, and get inspired to try some of their successful techniques in your own social media marketing efforts. You always want to surround yourself with people that you can learn from, and will help you grow, and give you something to strive towards. Even if they’re just someone online that you don’t personally know, take them on as your virtual mentor, and let their work give you the motivation you need to strive towards social media success for your own business or brand. I find it especially encouraging when you see a brand that is extremely successful in social media marketing, and hear about their journey to success. Then you realize that, at one point in time, they were just like you. It’s great to know that you’re not alone, and that we all have to start somewhere, and go through the natural growing pains, and stages of social media marketing success.
Do you see any other parallels between marriage, relationships, and social media? Can you relate to any of the lessons learned in this article? Please leave a comment below, and also Tweet this post, Facebook “like” it above, and share it as well.
