توجه

Attention

Where are the eyeballs going? What are your customers talking about? What are the newest trends in your field? What are the biggest controversies? You have to pay attention to everything. One of my great advantages has been the ability to see where the attention is shifting even as my competition is looking elsewhere (usually backward). Knowing how to spot underpriced or underappreciated attention is a key influencer skill. People have always dismissed or underestimated the new thing, from radio to TV, from the Internet to the social networks. They’re the same people who believe that Hollywood, not YouTube and Instagram, still incubates the biggest stars. As anyone under the age of twenty-five will tell you, they’re wrong.

Don’t become so comfortable on one platform that you don’t take the time to develop solid skills on the others. On the other hand, don’t cling to your favorite even when it’s become ineffective or overpriced. Keep experimenting even when you’re sure you’re doing it right. Your willingness to risk discomfort will save you in the long run. There are a lot of you whose competitors were mastering Instagram five years ago just in case it got really big, while you were still debating whether to get an account. Don’t make that mistake again.