PlusStuff

When I was a kid, you know back in the stone ages – there used to be commercial for Breck Shampoo - “and you told two friends, and they told two friends, and they told two friends . . . The idea was that happy customers would share their experiences with friends, who in turn would pass it on. Ultimately, this became known as viral marketing.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and this is the premise behind using social networks for marketing. You post something, your friends read it and pass it on to their friends. Great! Marketing all done! Well, not exactly.

The problem is not every thing you post is compelling enough to repeat. Trust me, it’s not.

In order for social networking to work as a marketing medium for you – what you post must be interesting, have value and be compelling to pass on. Let’s go back to the ladies of Breck. If Becky simply told Jan and Sue “I went shopping for shampoo, today,” then Jan and Sue would have nodded approvingly (actually Sue would have rolled her eyes) and the subject would have quickly moved on to Jan’s new Dorothy Hammill do. But instead, Becky told the girls that this new product left her hair soft, shiny and cured split ends and they should try it. Now this was different – the value? soft, shiny hair and a call to action – you should try it!

While your fan base may put up with your posts about what you had for breakfast – they really want to know what is in it for them. Soft, shiny hair? Sign me up! Emerging technology that solves all of my business problems? Where do I invest?

The next time you post to Facebook or Tweet on Twitter or what ever it is that you do – makes sure it’s worth sharing. Oh, and seriously stop sending me Mafia Wars, already!