Is Your Business Stuck on One Note?

There are times when you come across someone who is stuck.  Social media, because of its immediacy, has really highlighted this faster than any other communication channel. Specifically, I’m referring to when someone’s stuck on “one note”.  And, that note is “me,me,me,me”.

We all do it when we begin into the social universe simply because we don’t know what to chat about, write in our status update or tweet about. So, of course, we write about the one subject that we know best – ourselves.

It takes about 30 updates for you to find your voice online.  Voice meaning your focus, what you’ll chat about, and how you’ll engage people.  If you’re socially savvy, you’ll being using “the power of the ask” into your conversations.  Instead of saying, I’m waiting for my coffee and watching silly people.  You transform that statement into an ask, you might say “when I’m waiting I’m a people watcher – what do you do?”

In fact, it is a good idea to write their status updates out before hand.  Why?  Because these updates are defining their first impression and we know how lasting those can be.  It doesn’t mean that they don’t do some spontaneous updating or tweeting, too.  What it shows is how to use the social world for their focused marketing and branding.

Knowing why you’re online – will help you develop your role in the conversation symphony.  Miss the beat and go in with no focus, no sheet music, no direction – and you could drive your brand wagon into a ditch that will take a lot of effort, time and money to get back on the road.

Here’s how to start:

1.  Know why you’re going online

2.  Pick 3 networks to be active on where you can connect with people you want to connect with

3.  Specifically describe what success would look like, sound like and feel like in each of these three networks

4. Write out your first 30 status updates (use the 5 W’s to help you get started: who, what, why, where and when).

5. Convert those now to questions you are asking the people of that communication channel (wording it like you would if you were face to face with someone at a networking event)
Your brand will go a whole lot further and faster if you shift the focus on your customers and contacts and get of the “me, me, me, me, me” note.