The 70s and 80s were lots of fun! End of summer days riding around the neighborhood in my pink huffy. Hitting as many potholes as I could and trying to pop wheelies. (Yes, trying, I wasn’t very good at that!) Chasing after my sisters and being chased by the kids around the way.

That’s what we did. For hours!

And why… so we could hang out with our friends and have some fun. Some couldn’t wait to get back to school while others hated the back-to-school routine. We would talk for hours, head home for lunch and run back outside, only to hear the magic words “Be back before the street lights turn on!”

This memory isn’t just to reminisce, but to really show just how much communication has changed in these last few decades. Now, there are only a few kids out on their bikes riding around. And many, many more on social media platforms… sharing stories, photos, videos, quick remarks, opinions, suggestions, etc. without actually having to be face-to-face with their friends, like we did.

As a business owner, there’s a lot to learn from kids today. You hear certain folks grumbling about how kids’ heads are always down on their “stupid phones”… but what they don’t see is that those kids are in constant communication. They’re engaging with each other and connecting on a level many just can’t comprehend.

Engagement and connection is exactly what every business owner what’s with their consumer. Social media marketing is that connection. While information is great… and many online consumers are looking for just that, a resource to solve their needs. Don’t take everything so seriously and don’t always “pitch” your services. But get to know one another on a deeper, funner or more relational level will create a level of engagement that’s the building block to a loyal “follower.”

So now that you know I loved my pink huffy… tell me something about yourself? What color was your bike? Or did you just shoot hoops until dusk?

Have a great rest of the week!

Picture Source: Unfortunately, that’s not my pink Huffy. I found this picture on e-bay. I sure miss my pink Huffy.