Let’s try an experiment! OK, its not really an experiment because I know the outcome… But play along here folks:
Let’s put the digital world and social media aside and think about your friends. The real in-the-flesh human beings who you have given the metaphorical badge of “Friend”. Take a moment and think of a few of them. Not just your closest friends, but maybe people you only interact with from time to time but who have still managed to maintain that status in your mind.
Now let’s ask ourselves a question: Why are my friends my “friends”? Visualize the people you just thought of and answer that question. Some Possible answers:
-They are so much fun!
-They are great to talk to.
-They get me in to great social circles
-They love me
-They are a great dancer
-They teach me things
-etc etc etc.
What do any of these reasons have in common? Well at the risk of being called blunt, it really all boils down to one word: VALUE
Every one of your friends brings some sort of value to your life. After all if they didn’t, why would they be your friend right? You’d spend your valuable time on someone else.
So VALUE is it.
Now, have you ever had one of those friends who is always trying to sell you something? Every-Single-Time you see them!? They will lose that badge of friendship pretty quickly won’t they?
OK,so lets bring back the digital world. Everything in it runs on metaphors: Your desktop, Folders, Trash Can/Rectcling Bin, Mail, CC (stands for Carbon Copy), and of course your “FRIENDS” and “FOLLOWERS”.
So why treat them any different?!
If your business or brand has been granted the provisional seal of approval from a Facebook user for example. You have been “liked”. THATS JUST THE BEGINNING. It is not a license to pitch your heart out. Unless of course, you want to lose a friend…
Rather, its safer to think of it as a provisional seal of approval. An opportunity to take a real person and build a friendship with them. How do you do it? Bring VALUE to their life. Build up that holy marketing capital of Trust.
Entertain. Inspire. Educate. Create EMOTION. You want to be in their mind. In their subconscious. And you want to be there with some positive associations. That’s why emotions are the key. The brain chooses what to remember and to forget by the intensity of the emotion of the moment. Create emotion and you earn a place in their memory banks that’s associated with the emotion you just gave them. But beware. It’s a double-edged sword. Do it right and you’ll reap the rewards. Make a boo boo and… it could hurt you and your brand for years to come.
Our Formula: Entertainment + Education + Psychology = Tru$t.
Care to share a story or experience? We can’t wait to hear it.
