I’m taking some vacation time this week and I’m actually going to stand waist deep in the Columbia River in Oregon and cast for Trout. (Don’t worry I won’t hurt any I’m strictly a catch and release kind of guy.)  While I am away, I have a great lineup of guest bloggers filling my shoes.  This post is brought to you from C.C. Chapman.

C.C. Chapman is a leader in the online and social media marketing space. He is an avid photographer, author and keynote speaker. His most recent book (with Ann Handley) Content Rules, is a best seller that explains how companies can create remarkable blogs, podcasts, webinars, ebooks and more. C.C. is an advocate who speaks about building passionate consumer communities, and the strategic values of content-based marketing. He is the host of Passion Hit TV and the founder of Digital Dads. C.C. is a graduate of Bentley University and happily lives in the woods outside of Boston with his loving family.

Time for a bit of tough love.

You and your company must figure out how you are going to begin telling your story and creating the media to share it with others. If you haven’t started already, you must start today because you are already behind.

Ever since my book Content Rules hit shelves in 2010, I’ve spoken to thousands of people around the globe and told them the exact same thing. No matter what city I was in, I’d receive blank stares, vocal challenges that it didn’t apply to certain industries or knowing looks from those who had been fighting this fight in their own offices. I know I’m right and my clients are benefitting from my knowledge and starting to learn how to do this.

Pick any social network you like. Look at what is being said and shared on them. You’ll see a constant wave of photos, videos, articles and more being shared. People are finding content that kicks off an emotional response to it and then sharing it with others. They are taking content that others have created and pushing it out to their communities so that others can consume it as well.

You as a business owner must create content that shares your story for others to then pass along.

Just a few years ago, you could have gotten away with saying your customers were not online or that it wasn’t important for you particular business and I might give you a pass. Now, every single age, demographic and potential customer for you is there. They have phones connected to the web. They are doing searches for everything from peaches to PCs. Your corner store can now have a global market if you so desire.

The rise of the storyteller is upon us. You can choose the medium that is right for you, but you must start creating now. Waiting isn’t an option if you want to succeed. It is that black and white of an issue in my mind.

Google continues to tweak their algorithm so that fresh and relevant content is served up when people search. If you are not giving it things to show, then you are invisible on the web. Plus, people are consuming at a constant rate and if you give them something compelling, interesting or inspiring they will reward you with their attention (and perhaps more).