This might be a really controversial thing to post on social media . . . but social media is not the sum total of marketing. In fact I would argue it is a tiny fraction of the sum of true marketing, and it is only a very small number of businesses and individuals that can make it work as the majority of their marketing. Never-the-less, in a world where social media is seen as the primary touch point between businesses and customers, and in a world where everything seems too hard, too time consuming and too expensive, the idea that you can ‘just’ post and cover off on marketing is appealing, but altogether false.
Can we first start by defining what marketing actually is? Marketing is anything and everything that communicates to your customers who you are and what you do. It is the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of what makes you you; the flavour that keeps your repeat customers coming back; the hard-to-define factor that sets you apart. Marketing is how you represent that message in nonverbal ways but it is also the way that you interact with people, the way you provide your services, the little extras that make your customers walk away with a little extra smile, that is the true heart of marketing.
Wait, what? Yep. That simple. Guess why?
It’s because it’s those little things that mean when Jo walks into work with that cup of coffee with a special note specifically written for her, she holds her head higher and treats the people around her a little better. And then because she’s feeling better she invites Annabelle to go have coffee together, and guess where they go?
It’s the time you spent a little extra time researching a unique approach to fix the unfixable mechanical issue that means that Rhianon now talks about the miracle stunt you pulled to everyone who will listen.
It is the extra few minutes you spent helping Martin feel comfortable in that suit for his brother’s wedding when he walked in not even feeling comfortable in his own skin. You changed that experience for him and you didn’t even know it.
Statistically, word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing out there. So why do we hear customers repeatedly bemoan the fact that they know they ‘have’ to be on social media but absolutely despise doing it, even though they can’t point to a single customer that walked in because of the post they saw on Instagram?
Yeah, we don’t know either.
Here’s the thing. Regardless of what business you’re in, there is a definite need to actively seek to communicate the message of what you do and how you do it just a little broader and just a little louder. Ie, marketing is still an absolutely vital aspect of business. But I want to be crystal clear – social media is not the only option. And for most businesses, I would suggest it’s not even the best option.
Social media is amazing IF you
- Are a web based business
- Are working a business model based on scale that doesn’t necessarily require face to face contact
- Are seeking a non-contact following but don’t necessarily need people to walk in the door
- Have a very specific and powerful strategy as well as the skills to execute it
I would say that most business owners doing their own social media marketing is the same as doing their own bookkeeping – there are an exceptional few that do a really good job of it, but the vast majority honestly make a balls-up of it and then pay more for someone to fix it up than they would have to engage a specialist in the first place.
Harsh? Sorry I have to call it as I see it, because I’m devastated at how often I see business owners spending time they don’t have investing in a space they are ill-equipped to make genuine use of, particularly when most of them absolutely hate doing it.
Tip 1 – if you want to seriously pursue social media as a marketing strategy, PLEASE consider engaging a professional to at least help you design a strategy and hone your branding (a topic for another day).
Tip 2 – Marketing is SO much more than just social media, and there are a thousand ways you can communicate your business’ genius to the world without scheduling a single post. Marketing is mixed up in every conversation you have, every event you attend, every interaction you have with a supplier, every win you score on behalf of your client. It can be the beautiful packaging your customers don’t want to throw away. It sneaks into the program of a local theatre company, finds a voice in a complimentary contribution for the exclusive benefit of a community newsletter or a contribution to a hamper at a local school raffle. It is the offer of advice and support through a monthly email newsletter or the mentorship of a young person seeking to make a move in your given industry.
At its core, marketing is an extension of your voice communicating who you are and what you do, and the benefit you provide to the community simply because you exist. It needs to be an expression that fits with who you are and what you do, otherwise it is an attempted heist on a stage you don’t belong on.
So how can you find a unique and personal way of marketing your business in this crazy, distracted world? Maybe start by thinking through the following questions:
- Where does your ideal customer hang out? (Not sure who your ideal customer is? Let’s chat and figure it out.)
- What problem do they have that you have the unique solution for?
- How can you meet them in their space in a way that communicates the solution you have on offer?
- What barriers might they have to overcome to engage with your service or product, and how can you help them overcome it?
- If you were in their space, with the problems they face, what would speak to you?
I honestly doubt it is a generic, AI driven algorithm. I’ll guarantee it is way more unique and individual than that.
Now, shall we get on with the real job at hand?