Two business owners walk into a bar. They both order shots to celebrate the launch of their new companies.

Five years later, the same business owners walk into the same bar, and order the same shots. One turns to the other and says “I just hired my 25th employee!” The other downs his shot, orders another, and downs that one. Then he says “I just signed bankruptcy papers on my business.”

It’s not a joke. In fact, it’s a true story, one that recently happened to two friends of mine. Want to know the main difference between their business strategies?

One built a website on day one and kept it updated and optimized, while the other had relied on social media and directory listings to market his business. While the former had leads rolling in by the end of year one, the latter never generated any momentum. As reach on social media declined, his top source of customers dried up.

Don’t be that guy.