For more than a decade, the IT industry has been obsessed with the concept of “first to market.” I remember the late 1990s, in particular, where a company that wasn’t first to move was believed destined to follow, as early entrants would seize market share quickly, gain an edge on the upgrade path and block anyone with similar hopes from ever realizing them. The advantage that comes with being first isn’t as widely recognized as it was 10 years ago, but it nonetheless persists, if only in a diluted form.

When it comes to social media marketing, this has led several companies to surmise that it’s too late to use it to gain an edge. They winners have already been determined, they suspect. So, why would an IT reseller invest its already limited marketing resources in this type of endeavor?

Well, we have more than a decade of perspective on the first-mover advantage, and I can tell you confidently not to believe in it. You can succeed even if you’re late to the game – but wait too long, and you really are ceding the advantage to your competitors.

Many of the market leaders in the technology industry right now were not the first to market in their respective sectors. In fact, several were rather late. But, they enjoy powerful market positions right now and command the respect of IT buyers and end-users alike.

Need a few examples?

In 1998, there was no reason to build a better search engine. The market was already incredibly crowded, and there seemed to be little opportunity to deliver a better end-user experience. Yet, Google decided to give it a try and now owns 65 percent of the U.S. search market and a roughly comparable share globally. Where is Alta Vista? Nobody knows … or really misses it.

I remember when any threat to the social media dominance of MySpace was inconceivable. Within a year, a new class of people emerged, called “MySpace refugees.” This large population had fled for the greener pastures of a new platform called Facebook, which now has more than 350 million registered users.

The Blackberry and Treo had already given mobile device users access to e-mail, data and websites when the iPhone was introduced, but online traffic was miniscule, according to a report by VentureBeat. The space was already established, even if it was small, and the early entrants had secured their positions. Yet, Apple went head-to-head with the existing leaders and has shown success after success.

So, if you aren’t the first reseller to hit the social media marketing space, don’t worry; you still have time. That said, don’t wait too long. First-movers operate in a short window of time, and when that passes, the path to maturity can be fast. When you are ready to kick off your social media marketing initiative, be sure that it’s part of a broader marketing plan. Lacking clear objectives and a connection to your other sales and marketing initiatives is just as bad as rushing to be first for the sake of being first. Discipline is crucial, but be sure not to give up too much leeway to the competition.

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