Life is a great teacher. If you don’t believe me, ask Ted Williams – the homeless man with the golden radio announcer voice, whose videos has reached more than 26 million views on YouTube in a matter of days and has been the talk of the town on other social media sites as well. While the rags to riches story sounds fascinating and inspirational, it also provides valuable social media lessons for businesses.

IMO, the Ted Williams episode is a startling reminder that we live in the age of digital media where information travels faster than our imagination. There’s a lot to learn from Ted that applies to how we run our businesses. Here are five social media business lessons I took away from watching Ted.

Lesson #1 – Never doubt how far reaching your social media campaign can be.

I’ve always maintained that the ubiquity of social media is its biggest USP. People from all walks of life tend to associate themselves with one social network or the other – be it YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter or any other. In case of Ted, it was the YouTube video that changed his world for good.

Lesson #2 – Be prepared

The Ted Williams episode is a fascinating tale of how a well prepared person can make the most of an opportunity. Opportunity never strikes twice, more so in the business world. Mr. Williams was prepared and knew exactly what he was going to say in case someone who could help him find employment in the radio industry would stop. The opportunity came and he grabbed it with both hands. As a business, strive hard to encash any opportunities that come your way. For a start, reaffirm your commitment to social media.

Lesson #3 – Hope

Let’s face it – not every business succeeds. In fact, a large number of businesses shut shop in a year or two simply because they lose hope and lack perseverance. Ted is a great example of why you should never lose hope. As a business, work and hope for the best!

Ted held on even in the most adverse circumstances and social media rescued him. So, it’s worth giving your business some hope by adopting social media.

Lesson #4 – Be good, it’s viral

As a business, your first objective should be providing good customer service. Everybody loves good stories and they like spreading them around. Ted Williams was one such story and if you are passionate about your customers, the next such blockbuster story could be about your business.

I’d advice looking at the feasibility of using Facebook and Twitter as customer service avenues – providing product information, answering queries and providing resolutions to complaints. Be good, it’s viral and will do a world of good to your business.

Lesson #5 – Differentiate yourself

Ted’s amazing voice made him a celebrity overnight. As a business, strive on differentiating yourself from competitors. Customers are always on the look out for something new and exciting. So, differentiate yourself and use social media to spread the word about it.

Have you seen the Ted Williams YouTube video? If so, what did you learn from it? Please share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post.