David Meerman Scott says in “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”
“Instead of one way interruption, Web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the precise moment that a buyer needs it.”
That’s the key! You’ve got to change your mindset when it comes to social media marketing… you are not trying to interrupt someone as they are reading the newspaper or listening to the radio or watching television….
you are trying to ENGAGE them in conversation at the moments they need it most.
Social media has already become so engrained in our culture that we often forget the power it wields.
I see so many merchants and service providers these days still struggling with using traditional advertising (which I’m not against – I just recommend it become a part of the strategy) and using their social media as an afterthought… and it makes me wonder, with the POWER that rests at their fingertips, why do they not use it?
I think of the way twitter has fueled a revolution in other parts of the world. They way facebook terms have crept into our everyday vocabulary. The way we often look for moments in our lives that we can instagram…
and it makes me realize that we have an army of people just waiting for messages from us. People just WAITING to be told how we can help make their lives better with our products and services.
DO NOT underestimate the value of social media for your business. If you use it consistently and effectively, you WILL be a part of the revolution!
Sometimes, Social Media has a downside. Don’t get me wrong. you cannot always live in a world that is plugged in all the time….
and there is certainly rising social commentary to support “unplugging”
but this quote from Francois Gossleaux about WHY social media resonnates with people is good stuff, because it explains what social media does WELL.
“Social media allows us to behave in ways that we are hardwired for in the first place – as humans. We can get frank recommendations from other humans instead of from faceless companies.” ― Francois Gossieaux, The Hyper-Social Organization: Eclipse Your Competition by Leveraging Social Media
It appears to me that C.W. Leadbeater was some kind of Catholic Priest turned mystic transcendentalist.. so I can’t say that I subscribe to all of his teachings… but I loved this quote – and the way it applies to SOCIAL MEDIA today! Want to communicate your brand? Want people to know your message? Then you need to understand this:
“You are what you share.” ― C.W. Leadbeater, We Think: The Power Of Mass Creativity #wisdomwednesday
Distracted from Distraction by Distraction – TS Eliot
This quote is great – because a hundred or more years ago – an american poet described American’s fascination with social media…. must not be a NEW problem!
The point I’m making through – is don’t get distracted. It’s easy to hop on to facebook ore twitter for the point of sharing your marketing stuff – and then getting sucked in. Put on your blinders, and stay focused! It’s good to interact and pay attention to what is going on – but it can take a ten minute social media task and turn it into a day long time waster!
Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers. -Seth Godin
I think sometimes the most important thing to understand about marketing is that it’s not about bringing your idea to market – but rather determine what the market is – and then coming up with an idea the market wants.
Son, You can learn something from EVERYONE. Take the time to listen to people. Everyone – even the crazy ones, or the ones that might not seem so smart, or the ones who are mean to you – have something to offer.
More important than my dad SAYING this, was they way dad MODELED this for me. Everyone knows my dad. Almost everyone likes my dad. Because he treats people like they matter to him. (BECAUSE THEY DO!)
This quote from Leo Burnett is great:
What helps people helps business.
Because it’s so true! Imagine the state of our economy if everyone who did business did it with PEOPLE in mind?
I don’t mean to get preachy or to sermonize – but the truth is – we need a moral compass guiding our business. We need to do business with the idea that “people matter” as a guiding principle. If we don’t – our success is hollow. I think of the movie “Wall Street” that played on an endless cable television loop when I was a kid. Those people treated each other terribly! I’m sure they were loaded with cash – and there are many who are loaded with cash who got their while acting like buttholes. But I can’t imagine that life would be GOOD if I did that. I can’t imagine my success would be worth it.
And then I think of Apple.
I don’t mean to be a fan boy. Forgive me for sounding as such. In fact… to qualify – I can’t stand the iphone.
But EVERY SINGLE TIME that I call Apple for support on my macbook – they go OUT OF THEIR WAY to make me feel special. I speak to a native English Speaker who can understand me. My time talking to computers is minimal. They always provide excellent service, and they convey to ME that it’s their pleasure to do so.
I also think of Chik-Fil-A.
I’m not a fast food fan. I’d rather eat at an independently owned place…. unless I’m near a Chik-Fil-A. Say what you want about their politics… but when I’ve never seen a teenage girl so HAPPY to feed me chicken and to clean up a spilled milkshake. In fact, she brought us a free milk shake to replace it, and apologized several times about the spill – despite the fact that WE spilled it! And then when I said “Thanks” – she smiled and said, “It’s MY pleasure.” (And I think the really meant it.
The best (and simplest) marketing you can do is just simply to treat people well. Do your business with the goal of helping people, and they WILL come back, and they WILL tell their friends.
How can you put people first in YOUR business? What are some things that might need to change in your business operations to make that happen?
Great Wisdom not applied to action and behavior is just meaningless data. – Peter Drucker
I’ve always been a fan of this quote by Peter Drucker.
Do you want to succeed? Do you want to tour business to be the best? Do you want your LIFE to mean something?
Soak up wisdom… and then apply it. Because if you don’t let wisdom affect your actions and your behavior… it’s just a pile of worthless data…
