Last night, the world learned about Steve Jobs passing. I couldn’t possibly write anything about him that hasn’t already been said by someone else more elegantly or eloquently, nor would I attempt to do that here.  Jobs and Apple changed computing and the technology world as we know it. Simply put, he was a visionary. Because of that, his passing (and the legacy he leaves behind) got me thinking about the future of business and how social media relates.

We’re All Pioneers

When it comes to social media, we’re forging our own paths. There’s no doubt we have plenty of great leaders showing us how it could be done and maybe even how it should be done. But there’s nothing to say that you can’t do it a little differently – handle social media for your business in a way that best suits your business’ personality. Think outside the box. How would you use social media for your business if there were no one to tell you that you couldn’t do it that way? When you think about which platforms your business will focus its social media efforts around, don’t forget that there’s more to social media than just Facebook and Twitter. In other words, if your consumers or clients love video, consider those outposts as well. Then, go out and make great videos that really show people why they’d want to do business with you!

Everyone Can Contribute To the Social Enterprise

In Seth Godin’s book, “Poke the Box” he asks “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Do you remember? It doesn’t matter if you are the Founder and CEO or the new hire. You’ve got ideas and those ideas could very well help take your business to another level. Let’s say your call center is providing great customer service, how can you do the same or better, using social media? Use your imagination, brainstorm, be creative and experiment. I’m not suggesting you throw strategy out the window – just suggesting that you should expand your horizons and keep a very open mind throughout the process.

The Future

The future of your business is unwritten. Businesses are moving toward becoming more social – shifting into social enterprises. You can ignore change, embrace change or create change. Are you going to spend your future keeping up with the competition or blazing new trails? It is really up to you.

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” – Steve Jobs  [The Wall Street Journal, 1993]

What wonderful things will your business do, using social media?

Trish Forant is a Community Manager at Radian6. She’s a mom, a writer and she enjoys helping people connect. You can connect with her on Twitter at @Dayngr.

Tags: Chris Brogan, Leadership, Seth Godin, Social Enterprise, Social Media, Social Media Explorer, Steve Jobs, Technology