Meet Joseph, a young entrepreneur and information systems major at the University of Florida. For Joseph, technology is more than just a passion; it’s a way of life that first began in Elementary school. Throughout much of his youth, Joseph spent his free time helping others with their computing issues and volunteering in the community. In High School he assisted the school’s technology specialist. He also volunteered at his old elementary school and church and fixed the computers of numerous family members and friends.
Over the years his passion grew and he realized it was time to take things to the next level. In 2007, Joseph founded Gator I.T., a technology services firm. At first his business catered primarily to residential customers, who he assisted remotely over the internet. He soon expanded to businesses, introducing a variety of managed services and eventually web development services.
Through his experience, Joseph soon learned that building static websites for his clients was not enough. He needed a way to drive traffic to them, or else they would not create value. He needed a way to differentiate himself from the competition, so he began to search the web. He learned the basics of SEO, but was still unsatisfied. He understood the importance of social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, but found himself still unable to generate the excitement and enthusiasm he knew was necessary.
Seeking to find meaning and fill this void in his life, Joseph enrolled in Digital Frontiers, an honors elective focusing on social media marketing. While the semester just started, Joseph has already learned a considerable amount, such as the importance of making his blogs fun. While Joseph is a strong writer, he has always had a tendency to be a little starched, which does not lend itself well to marketing. Throughout this semester, Joseph will be fine tuning his creative writing skills, so that he can more effectively excite others to share the stories of his customers.
One company that is consistently able to generate customer enthusiasm is Apple. Unlike many of their competitors, they realize that customer evangelism is far more valuable than one sided marketing messages. For example, when Apple first introduced the MacBook Air, at Macworld, Steve Jobs generated excitement by entering the stage carrying an envelope. Many wondered what the envelope concealed and were amazed when he reached inside and pulled out a laptop. For weeks following the conference, everyone was talking about it. For their ability to generate excitement, Apple is one of his favorite companies.
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