You'd finish a roll of film, take it to the shop, and wait. Days, sometimes. Then you'd open the envelope and find out that half of them had someone's thumb in the corner and the one you really wanted was blurry.
Remember that? It used to be a fact of life. Now it feels like a long forgotten chore. We used to have to hope we'd got the shot right. Now we can see it instantly, take ten more and pick the best one before anyone's even moved.
Photos are a nice example. The bigger change is what's happened to publishing.
If you wanted to be in the news, you used to need a journalist to accept your story. You'd write a press release, send it off, and hope. Most of the time, nothing happened.
Now every one of us can publish into the most read newsfeed of all. Social media. We can share whatever stories and content we choose, whenever we choose.
Most businesses used to dream of getting on TV. But now the most watched screens are the ones in our pockets. And once again, we can publish to them without needing anyone else to say yes to our message.
The most powerful publishing device ever
That phone in your pocket, or in your bag, is the most powerful publishing device the world has ever known.
Not so long ago, people would have paid a fortune to be able to broadcast to their audience. Now you get to do it for free.
You can film a video in the car park after a client meeting. You can share a lesson you learned this morning. You can answer the question every customer asks, once, and let thousands of people see the answer.
And before you can make an impact, people need to know you exist. Visibility comes first.
So here's what puzzles me. Publishing is easier than it has ever been. So why do so many businesses still not do it, or only do it once in a blue moon?
I think a few things get in the way.
Perfectionism, for one. We still treat every post like it's going to be printed and framed. It has to be just right before it goes out, so it never goes out. (You know where I stand on that one. Done beats perfect.)
Not knowing what to say is another. Which is strange, because most business owners talk about their work all day long. The content is already there in the conversations you're having with customers.
And consistency is the big one. Publishing once is easy. Publishing every week, for months, is where the results come from, and where most people quietly stop.
We don't wait a week for our photos any more.
