Micro-Stories, Marketers Ruining Social Media and the Friend Who Keeps Calling

Be a master of context

In the elevator, at the gym or in line at the coffee shop, there’s a micro-moment happening. Sometimes, companies tend to think their Facebook page is an ongoing digital conference. But, it isn’t. They’re posting information to one person in one place in one moment. Become a master of context. What’s the weather like? What are the biggest obstacles your customers are facing? It’s this context that should determine how you formulate what to offer in the form of a social media strategy. From the top down, executives to customer service representatives alike should put the one before the many. Decide: what’s my goal? Then, apply it to the micro moment, the single place in the single context where it will meet the user. Give an experience that meets that need, where it’s found.

Marketers are ruining social media

Remember when this social media thing was first starting? It was exciting. It was a great feeling when that photo post of yours got more than 2 or 3 likes. You liked the idea that people were watching, all the time and with interest. But, it took hardly any time at all before obtrusive ads and unwelcome sponsored posts started taking up whole regions of your phone and/or laptop screen. Have we forgotten what brought all of us here in the first place? It was based on the simple: what we love, in a convenient and accessible space. So, don’t push “Post” unless it’s truly appreciated by someone, somewhere. It’s not worth putting out there if people aren’t looking for it.

The friend you want to call vs. the friend who keeps calling

This one tags along on the last one. If you find yourself (and most marketers do) pushing out content on top of content with the hope that something sticks, stop it. Stop it right now. Reevaluate yourself. What can you do for your audience? Don’t just post “Happy Monday!”. Nobody cares that you are wishing anybody a happy Monday, seriously. Instead, dig into your business model for what brought you success in the first place and plug that thing into what you’re doing on social media. Build your social media on the foundation of your business.