This morning my favorite local apparel shop posted this promotion on Instagram, and I unintentionally scrolled right pass that “awesome deal”. It dawned on me how my brain is wired to reject any ad-like information, and I feel I’m not the only one. Small businesses should always refrain from sounding like an ad. Instead they should try to share something interesting, funny or intimate to bring people closer, not push them away,
We’ve gone from being exposed to about 500 ads a day back in the 1970’s to as many as 5,000 a day today. So for the sake of sanity most people trained themselves to ignore ads. We skip them, block them and simply don’t pay attention. Sometimes I feel my brain has this AdBlocker and I simply stop listing if you start to sound like a commercial.
Now there is Spotify Premium, Pandora One and Youtube Red, so people would spend money just to have an ad-free experience.
So here are a few things we need to remember when posting content on social media sites as a small business:
- Be genuinely informational. So much work goes into your business, so try walk people through your process. Some things might be routine for you but its new for everyone else. Also try to educate your fans about you products or services.
- Be funny, or just don’t take yourself too seriously. You don’t have to write jokes, simply share something cute or witty. If you can put a smile on someone’s face even for a second, it’ll go a long way.
- Engage people. Always reply to comments, questions and reviews. Moreover, you can use social media platforms to request feedback, suggestions and get inspired.
To sum up, you gotta keep your eyes on the prize. So if the prize is quick monetary gain, yes go knock on people’s doors and sell your knives. Post your promotional offers on Instagram and Facebook. See if you can fit your sales pitch in 140 characters. But If your goal is to positively impact the world, build a following and create a tribe, just be yourself. Tell us your story.
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[…] Something About you. Share your full story. It’s a fascinating tale. With its ups and downs, twists and turns. For more on the topic, please read my previous post. […]