There’s a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and YouTube phenomenon named Tai Lopez. Have you heard of him? If you watch YouTube, I’m sure you have seen at least one of his pre-roll video advertisements. He’s in his garage with his Ferrari and also a multitude of books and bookcases. Tai encourages his listeners to expand their horizons by reading a book a day. He argues that reading brings knowledge and knowledge drives power. As someone who doesn’t read as much as he should (I spend my free time writing), Tai’s message struck home with me. He encouraged me to elevate my reading game, although I’m going to shoot for a book per week instead of per day. Thanks for the motivation, Tai!
Today, I want to do my version of Tai’s message, specifically for digital marketing professionals. I want to encourage everyone reading to install and explore at least one new app every single week. Mobile is at the forefront of everything we do. The better you understand the latest in mobile apps, the quicker you will grow.
In my opinion, the best employees are those that spend some time learning and experimenting during their off-hours. Look how competitive the advertising landscape has become these days. Even with budgets in the millions, you have to be one of the best marketers around to really win the game. It’s even more difficult being competitive when you’re on your own, have next to zero budget, and have no team. The scrappy moonlighter is forced to come up with the most innovative ideas ever, and this is precisely why you always need to be learning in your off-hours. This is when you will generate some of your best ideas, and make some of your greatest advances forward.
In your quest to learn a new app each week, I’m not talking about video games! I’m talking about real apps, those that can add value to your business or expand your horizons as a marketer and technologist. Pick popular apps and new apps. Pick social media apps and productivity apps. Even if you feel like you’re the last person on earth to try an app and you’re embarrassed you waited so long, just go for it! (I was in this very situation with the app I just installed, Instagram.)
Don’t just install the app, but spend some serious time engaging and learning the app. Do your best to maximize the app, treating your personal account as if you are running a business. (Hopefully you are running a business. As long as your side business does not take away from your job and as long as you don’t spend too much time on it each week, the lessons you learn will truly propel your full-time employer and corporate career.)
This past week, I’m thrilled to say that I finally got on Instagram. While it’s honestly a little embarrassing to admit I waited so long, I’m also trying to illustrate a point here. While I probably should have learned Instagram a long time ago, better late than never. It’s not about where I was yesterday, but where I am today. I’m always learning. Just like reading a new book, learning a new app is an empowering and powerful experience.
Please make sure to connect with me on Instagram, and check out my photos. As you can see, I didn’t just install the app and forget it. I’m taking Instagram seriously and trying to maximize and learn everything I can about the platform. While I don’t expect every app I install to be so much fun, I found that Instagram is one of the most addictive social media platforms in existence. I also found that the community on Instagram is so willing to support one another.
What have I learned on Instagram in my first week? A whole lot. In fact, when my good friends at Acquisio offered me an opportunity to guest post, I decided to write an Instagram guide for newcomers, like myself. I highly recommend reading on and checking out my guide on How To Get Started On Instagram. Thanks, Acquisio, for the opportunity! (For those that don’t know, Acquisio is one of the most powerful performance marketing platforms around. They also happen to have a stellar blog, and I’m lucky to guest post from time-to-time.)
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