So yesterday I turned another year older, 30-ahem-something years old, and honestly can?t believe where the year has gone.

I enjoyed the usual activities associated with the day from eating perhaps more than I should ?just because it?s my birthday? to gleefully unwrapping presents from family and friends.

What was apparent this year, and struck me in a real ?sign of the times? moment, was the fewer number of birthday cards I received.  This was not, I hope, due to declining numbers of friends, but more directly related to the surge in online messages I received throughout the day.  Never has my Facebook home page been so busy (as someone who doesn?t spend much time on it, it was nice to know that people don?t take this the wrong way).

For fear of sounding like my own mother, ?don?t people bother to write cards these days?? I accepted that this is the way people communicate with each other these days, and in an instant, people could send a message directly to me wishing me a lovely day.  It was a stark reminder that the technology of today is instant, now and of the moment.  Whilst I can accept this is not going to change and am happy that this is the way it?s going to be, I did have a feeling  that I?m becoming out of touch and my children will know more than me about the latest technology quite soon (they are 7 and 4, it really will happen soon!)

I hear the same with clients at work and interestingly I had to tell myself what I tell them.  There?s no point trying to stay ahead of the game with all aspects of technology and social media when there are people around who are experts.  As a marketing consultancy we ensure we stay ahead of the game for our clients by working with experts in lots of different fields, all of which can keep us, and our clients up to date with what?s available.  What we then do is translate what is out there, into what is relevant and effective marketing activity, all of which conjoined by a marketing plan that delivers business objectives.

So if you are starting to feel that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are starting to pass you by, and you?re missing business opportunities as a result, give us a call and we?ll help you stay with the game, and ensure your children won?t have to show you what to do (not all the time anyway).