HOW OFTEN DO YOU SOCIALISE USING GOOGLE ADWORDS?
I’m sure you answered ‘never’ (I’d be very impressed otherwise).
How often do you see boring ad like content on social media? If you answered ‘all the flaming time’ I would be neither surprised or impressed.
Why then do we insist on using social platforms for generic advertising when we don’t socialise on advertising platforms?
IT DOESN'T ADD UP.
The stats tell us that your business likely has a social media presence (or a lack there of). Most business owners are savvy enough to investigate ‘social media’, create some accounts and then begin creating content. Unfortunately, this is where many stop in their tracks. Questions begin to arise such as ‘how do I grow my audience?’, ‘why don’t I have enough likes?’, ‘why does no-one comment on my posts?’.
THE ISSUE.
The core issue at play here is the differing appropriation of content types in different contexts. Many business Facebook accounts simply consist of intermittent, simple promotional content that even the creator doesn’t duly expect anyone to actually take any notice of. This type of content might be great within a newspaper advert, but it certainly isn’t something you’d discuss at a social event. Many businesses fall into this fictitious zone of comfort, ‘we are on social media’ they will tell themselves, although the reality of the situation is often quite different.
WHATS REALLY GOING ON.
Social media is the equivalent of a bustling cocktail party and these businesses are standing in the corner with their arms folded. Just because they are in attendance, doesn’t mean they did anything meaningful.
HOW DO WE FIX IT?
How then do you as a business become social, on social media? It is really quite simple; you have to provide your audience with value. No you don’t have to pay them to read your content, or give away free hats (although I’ll have one if you are), but you do have to ensure that your audience takes more away from your content than the effort they invested into reading it. Without sounding like an economics professor, your audience is not going to spend 10 minutes a day reading about your weekly product specials, as people are time poor and this does not provide them with any real gain.
THE POINT?
The main point to take from all this? Be funny, be entertaining, be helpful, be enlightening, be anything other than boring and infomercial like. If your business sells running shoes, provide people with tips on the best time of day to run, the best type of shoe for each condition or even ask people to share their own experiences. Much like you, your business is a social entity, I don’t think you would obtain many friends if you went around throwing flyers at people.
