In my opinion one of the most basic cornerstones to any social media engagement strategy is to find a real and authentic connection that can be made with a target audience.
(As I’m writing this, I almost deleted that first paragraph as “too obvious.” But I think the reality is that there are still a LOT of companies, many of them large and powerful, which are struggling with the above - witness the fact that according to Inc. Magazine, the Inc. 500, America’s fastest-growing companies, are more than twice as likely to engage in social media than the Fortune 500, their larger and more established peers).
How are connections built in social media? The same way they’re built anywhere else - by finding commonalities among your target audience and creating a sense of community around your product.
But what differentiates a product or service that becomes a “hit” from one that struggles?
The best way of describing this difference was demonstrated to me by a very talented entrepreneur and product creator here in San Diego named Mark Schmid, who summed it up this way: Be a movement, not a product.
It’s a simple concept but a very powerful one. When people connect emotionally with a product or company, I believe it’s because of a broader concept it conveys. Let’s try a few examples:
| Product | Movement |
|---|---|
| Recycled paper towels | Protecting the environment |
| Wireless phone | Freedom to move and connect |
| Organic cereal | Improve the health of our children |
Anyone have ideas for movements they'd like to share?
