I recently spent the day with the amazing team from the RedKite Foundation discussing social media strategy. Yes… a blatant plug, but they deserve it!
We covered a lot of ground, but their CEO, Jenni Seton posed a very interesting question that I felt was worth exploring. The question went along the lines of figuring out how to remain relevant in a time when people tend to be narrow-casting.
Narrow-casting by definition is when people selectively tune out what they do and don’t want to know. For instance, I don’t want to see advertisements for hamburgers, so I fast forward those ads on television. I unsubscribe to newsletters that don’t provide relevant & timely information and block people on Facebook & Twitter that don’t add value to the conversation.
And therein lies the key. Relevance and value.
Without sounding philosophical, we tend to get caught up in our own world and/or the product we represent. Admit it…. nothing is ever as important as our own product.
Social media represents an opportunity for you to talk about your product to an ever-present and growing audience. And that conversation will be sustainable and rewarding, so long as you keep those magic words top of mind; relevance and value.
Using social networks as a sales and marketing tool requires you to interact. Gone are the days when you could send 10,000 glossy brochures to your entire database. Today, the key to using social networks to promote your product or service is to create a conversation. Think of it as bit like going to a party. You can’t just rock up to the first person you see and yell “You’ve got to buy my widget. It’s only $9.95.”
Instead, create meaningful content – or a relevant conversation if you will – about your product. Create posts that add value to the lives of the people you’re mingling with online. Try to solve their problems or offer solutions.
Connect with people genuinely and listen to the conversation. Respond to their requests and monitor the discussions. If you strive to remain relevant and valuable, being outcast by the narrow-casters will be difficult.
Listen, interact and respond. You might just discover your audience’s burning needs and be able to create a window for your wares.
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