How to Set Yourself Apart from the Masses
Ten years ago it was just a small part of our lives, but today it consumes most of our lives in one way or another and has revolutionized marketing. It’s the internet. Some people read the newspaper. Some people read advertisements that come in their snail mail. Some people use the phone book. But the one thing that MOST people do is read information on the internet. And social media is taking the world by storm. People are becoming overnight sensations through the viral potential of the internet. Musical groups like Perpetuum Jazzile are getting more publicity than they ever could have through more traditional routes thanks to YOUTUBE.
While they are an amazing group, the time it would have taken for everyone to hear about them without the internet would have taken so much longer. The same is happening for people everywhere. Remember the JK Wedding Dance Entrance? The internet is bringing the whole world closer. The marketing potential here is amazing, but why are some businesses successful at it and others are not. I am not going to pretend to know all the answers here, but I have made a few interesting observations recently.
A photographer friend shared a link with me recently on the Social Media Revolution, and I found a couple of interesting comments in it that I wanted to share:
Successful companies in social media act more like Dale Carnegie and less like David Ogilvy….Listening first, selling second.Successful companies in social media act more like party planners, aggregators, and content providers than traditional advertisers.
This seems to be more and more what you see successful companies are doing. It is the whole philosophy of giving first. What is it that Dale Carnegie always said? “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” It’s not like it’s reinventing the wheel. Social media is just adding another spoke to the wheel. Same solid principle that successful companies have used for years, only now it’s being applied to social media and has the potential to be viral without even having a lot of capital.
I have been looking at twitter recently and have noticed a lot of businesses seem to flood you with constant advertising. That is a big turn-off. I like the businesses that mention their business and latest news with it but also post inspirational comments sprinkled with a few personal comments so that they feel more human to me and less like an impersonal business. So that is the model that I am trying to follow, not just with places like twitter and facebook but in everything I do with my business. Our business is all about people. I remember in another life when I was sold real estate, one of the first things they taught us is: People do not care what you know until they know that you care.
But how does this apply to social media? It has everything to do with social media. You have the potential of being seen by thousands of potential clients. What are you going to do to set yourself apart from the masses?
Four Must Know Marketing Secrets for Photographers
- Post regularly. I recently found an interesting tool (tweetlater) for doing a series of twitter updates that will post when you schedule them. I think for some people this would work well, but personally, I work better with small blocks of time. One thing I have been doing that helps me is that when I come across interesting quotes or have interesting thoughts, I will write them down. It gives me something to pull from when I go to updates my statuses. Other times, I just post right when something comes to me.
- Don’t bore your readers/followers: If everything you do is a walking billboard for your business and you are constantly doing it, you are probably boring people. If you share too much information, you are probably boring people. People are busy. Personally, I get bored with people who like to hear themselves talk that much. I’m waiting on them to start telling me whenever they go to the bathroom. Everything you think throughout the day does not need to be posted for everyone else to see. Imagine that you have a certain number of cell phone minutes to use each day. You want to use these up so that you do not lose them, but you do not want to go over, or it will cost you.
- Be interesting. Not only share information about your business but share interesting quotes and thoughts. Humanize yourself just a bit to your audience. People like doing business with people who they feel like they know. Problogger agrees with this idea. Find out what they said in “The Power of Being Personal on Your Blog” and how they have done this on their blog. The concept applies in any social media.
- Be a giver. Talk about things that benefit people. Sprinkle a few things especially for your readers in what you say, and you will find people being more and more interested in what you have to say.
I think one of the best examples of someone who does all of this right is David Jay. Definitely fan him and follow him on twitter. I was blessed to get on his facebook friends list before he reached 5000, but he does have a fan page, too, now. He also has a twitter profile. David has created a perfect balance of everything I have just stated. He is a giver. He is a kind person. He is not a walking billboard constantly trying to sell me every time he speaks. He makes me feel like I know him. He gives just enough personal information to make you feel like you know him. I like him and have never met him. I have never even spoken with him. If I were looking for something that he offered, he would be the first one on my list. Why? Because I like him, and I feel like I can trust him. He seems like he cares. People like doing business and being friends with someone like this.
Here are a few links that you might find helpful. I will come back later and post more detailed information on the different types of social media and how to use them effectively but wanted to share a few links that I have found especially helpful.
Kevin Rose: 10 Ways to Increase Your Twitter Followers
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Fantastic entry!! I agree 100% +
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you liked it!
Great article. I know my business grew from Facebook.