New Module

Add content here.

Inbound Web Design

The Marty McFly Guide to A Better Social Media Marketing Strategy

Posted by Mike Cerio on Jan 22, 2013 7:45:00 AM

If you’re over 30, you probably remember the film Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox.Marty McFly and Doc For the rest of you who have not yet had the privilege, Fox’s character, Marty McFly, gets sent back in time to the 1950’s in order to change the course of history and save his friend Doc. While there, Marty interacts with the younger version of his parents and experiences the differences between how 1950’s America worked compared to 1985 (the 80’s probably seem like the 1950’s to some of you…yikes, I’m getting old).

Who am I kidding…you’ve seen Back to the Future, right?

If not, do yourself a favor and pick it up tonight. Not because it is a pretty enjoyable way to spend 90-minutes or so…but for market research, I swear.

Whether we like it or not, we are all headed to a place that looks a whole lot more like the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s then it does the 80’s, 90’s or today. Some of the smartest social media marketers have already left in their flux capacitor powered Deloreans without you.

Get on board or get left in the present.

Every day “Joe’s” have unprecedented access to the companies they do business with today, and they not only expect you to engage with them, but to do so in a way that is far more reminiscent of how business was conducted in that bygone era. An era where your windshield was washed and tire pressure checked when you filled up your car. A time when your local grocer knew you by name and the butcher knew just how your father liked his steaks trimmed. Simply put, customers expect your company to care.

With the wide spread adoption of social media, there is really no excuse not to show them just how much you adore them.

I am a firm believer that the age of the big box stores, like Wal-Mart, are in for a “restructuring.” Think about the last time someone like Wal-Mart wanted to build a new “super store” in your town. How was it received? Probably not that well. I know from similar experiences in the area I live that the construction of such a store was flat out protested. And while it was eventually built, it was done so on the outskirts of town.

I would guess it’s a fair bet that you would rather go out to eat at the locally owned mainstay where the wait staff knows you by name than at the chain down the street with the lowest prices. As humans we crave this sense of community, and are willing to pay for it. An elderly gentleman in a blue vest “greeting” you at the door of a 500,000 square foot warehouse will just not “cut it” either.

Scalable caring is here…even for the micro-biz.

If you landed on this article, chances are that you are interested in starting or growing a small business. You might be a sole proprietor or have a handful of employees, and pride yourself on providing the type of “super service” we have outlined above. The question then becomes, “how can I build on the level of service I am currently providing? I am only one person after all.”

With the usual list social media of platforms like Twitter and FaceBook, and with tools like HootSuite, TweetDeck and Buffer, one person can literally engage with thousands of people one-on-one. This is a huge advantage for those companies that understand how these types of one-on-one connections are quickly becoming the best way to cut through the internet clutter.

Here are a couple things that you can begin doing within your social media strategy right now to strengthen your community:

N.B.C. – NEVER Be Closing.

Please, stop trying to sell s#!t on social media. It’s not the right platform. This is not to say that an occasional request to visit a landing page, for instance, is not a good idea. But please note, I said “occasional” and “landing page.”

There is a strategy that works for moving people along the path to a sale via building relationships on social platforms. But first, we need to get everyone on the same page about what is, and what is not, acceptable behavior on social media.

You’ve probably seen me plead for you to stop selling on social before. This is not an attempt by me to be “high and mighty” about how we use social for business. It simply does-not-work at scale and you will be doing much more to hinder your eventual growth by trying to do so too soon.

Be Yourself – Only Better.

You’ll notice that I might curse from time-to-time to emphasize a point, or use cheesy phrases or sayings over and over. That’s me. It’s how I would speak if we were having a friendly conversation over a beer…albeit, toned down a touch.

Whether you are in business for yourself or working as part of a team, we all begin to write and talk in a type of “business-speak.” It has its place, even on social. But from the standpoint of building real relationships with people, it doesn’t really work.

If you are constantly “presenting” to people, chances are that you are not participating in an actual conversation; you’re probably not really listening at all. Not the makings of the type of guy/gal that’s going to win many new friends online or off.

For this reason I almost wanted to lose the “But Better” portion of this topic. It’s far more important that you are authentic than you are right. In fact, apologizing for a mistake makes you so much more human than those who just pump out polished rhetoric.

I realize that these suggestions are far more “big picture,” and you probably want to get your hands on actionable steps. I get it.

It’s simply too important that you first step back and see social from your customers standpoint for it to be glossed over and moved past too quickly.

But don’t worry, soon we are going to roll up our sleeves and dig into the real work at hand. Building your business by bringing a little “street level” customer care to the world of the web.

Or like Doc would say, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

Topics: content marketing, Small business tips, social media marketing strategy