R E P O R T E R
WHY US ING SOCIAL MEDIA I S A P S YCHOLOGY , NOT A TECHNOLOGY CHAL LENGE
Whenever I work with a new client they are anxious to understand the technical aspects of using social media; how to set up and personalise accounts, how to upload and share video and imagery, how to monitor and understand the success they are, or aren’t, having, but the determining factor as to your social media success isn’t addle rooted in any of these things, it’s about relationships and understanding other people.
Clearly, a grasp of all of the technical aspects might help you hone your presence and improve (and indeed prove) your success rate, but the big one, the question that really counts is “do you understand people?”
So often with social media, and any kind of marketing for that matter, we think that how we write or design or target is where success lies but it seldom is. Usually people buy from you as opposed to your competition because they just ‘prefer’ to buy from you. They might rationalise this in any number of ways, but most sales are made with the heart.
Understanding the people that you’re talking to, and what motivates them, is the key to unlocking social media, and I suspect, business success. People recommend you to their friends not because you are better value, better equipped or better qualified, but because they prefer you. So, the challenge for social media users, particularly in a business world is: how do I get myself liked?
The odd thing is with social media, and marketing as a whole, and in business…and even life, we know all of the answers to this.
So, imagine yourself at a party. Imagine that you hear the tail end of a conversation between the people standing next to you, “… and I can help you achieve financial independence too!” Then the guy doing all the speaking turns to you and says “Hi, I’m Dave, I’m an IFA and a damn good one too; I’ve helped many of my clients…” and on he goes. It becomes quickly apparent that this chap is simply working his way around the room “pitching” to people.
Do you like him? Do you want to spend time with him? Would you give him the details of some of your friends? Would you spend your money with him? I suspect the answer is no. He is
26 | SYB | JULY 2014 ADAM GRAY
not the sort of person that any of us want to be associated with. It’s not that he tries to sell to you, more that he sells AT you. He doesn’t listen. It’s all about him. These are not attractive traits in any situation.
So, now think about your own marketing. If you’re really honest with yourself, the only difference between what you do and what Dave does is that when you do it… it’s you (and therefore okay).
Perhaps you don’t do this to people at parties, but you do it through your website, your brochure, your telesales, your social media. All you talk about is you. This is the way to erect barriers rather than remove them. The reason is simple: who is the most
important person in the world? ME of course. So, why would I want to come to your website to
hear about you? Why would I want your brochure to talk about you? Well, clearly I wouldn’t, and neither would most other people.
In social media (and all of marketing) we need to put the focus on the reader, we need to listen to them and respond rather than assume that they are waiting for us to speak. As Andy Lopata, the country’s top networking expert says, “you have two ears and one mouth, use them in those proportions”, and this is the best advice not just for networking but for marketing, business and life.
Make yourself visible by listening and then answering rather than just broadcasting, whilst more and more often hoping someone will hear you. Target just a few people to build a relationship rather than trying to get 1000 connections and by talking to them all. Try three people each week. Woo them as if they were a prospective life partner, listen to them, answer them, compliment them generally be a nice person and eventually they will see you, rate you and more importantly like you. Then next week do the same, and again…and again. Gradually you will build an audience of people that listen to you, believe you and like you.
There’s nothing hard about it, but remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Brilliant Social Media: How to start, refine and improve your social media business strategy by Adam Gray (Pearson) is out now in paperback, priced £14.99, available from Amazon and all good book shops. For more information visit
www.GrayUK.com/brilliant
WWW.STARTYOURBUSINESSMAG.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100