subject: Sick of the social media hype? We are too [print this page] Sick of the social media hype? We are too
Annoyed at the deluxe version of the hype. You know...listening to every webinar you can possibly sign up for, going to every seminar that might shed some light and break the barrier that fills the gray area between success and - well, the other stuff. The list goes on...you hear some content, some secrets that are truly incredible and you attack with fire and passion. And then you hear some more record breakers, try that, and along with the boredom of applying them you still get no solid results. Inconsistent results, maybe. But we can't count that.
It's not what we've bargained for. Many of us have sacrificed incredibly much and withstood a lot of resistance in the process. And it took a while, but we can definitely say that we've come to the bottom of it. Of the WHY social media doesn't work for most, even though all the secrets are applied. This is where the story gets spotty.
Here's what it boils down to: social media is the new era, yes. But the factor between whether or not it is going to work for a business...
...is absolutely, unfailingly, without any variance, EVERY SINGLE TIME determined by the business model and positioning! It is NOT determined by the secrets of social media optimizing or marketing!!
Here's the short version: your business model must exactly and in SEVERAL KEY AREAS support social media IN THE RIGHT WAY! Being positioned wrong, or being out of sync in your online presence, EVEN SLIGHTLY, puts you in the "UNSURE" zone, nearly guaranteeing your failure. If you have all of the parts to a car, but the parts are just lying in different places, you don't have a car...you have a project. And a masterpiece for a junkyard. Sorry.
Your car must be absolutely and perfectly put together BEFORE it can go anywhere. The terrain on which you want to drive your car will determine the car you drive, its design, style, etc. And it is even more so with business. The "online terrain" will only amplify your offline business results. If your business is bad offline, it will flat out suck online. The silence you are experiencing offline will seem louder at first online, especially in social media, but when it comes to closing business...you will still hear crickets. If your business is good offline, you have a CHANCE at amplifying those results exponentially online. You are granted the chance only if your offline business model is positioned and compatible for the online business world. It's not just about being on the internet.
Nathan Kievman, CEO of DemingHill, a leading corporate social media marketing firm serving Fortune 500 companies down to Speakers, Authors and Consultants says,
"Social Media is often a time suck for business owners. Executives in many cases HATE social media because it seems like its taking a lot of "talk time," in meetings, with the employees, and from the communications and marketing departments. Social Media seems to many Executives to have low upside compared to the scaled marketing efforts their organizations need. The problem here is not Social Media, it is the understanding around effective strategies for scalability and more importantly, how they are positioned prior to entering the market to induce that success with their market. The Social Media world will rally and spread the word for businesses and individuals if they like you, trust you and find you credible. Understanding how to create that trust and credibility is the key."
He continued with,
"Speakers, Authors, Trainers, Consultants, and small businesses have an advantage to larger organizations because they are more flexible, can move and make decisions faster and can interact on more of an individual basis and still exponentially grow their company."
But business today moves so fast that you don't have time to learn what you don't know, before its application relevancy expires. The solution to that begins with delegation. But let me describe the traits of the 3 most common personalities I interact with, who have already heard that but have different results.
1. Takes no risks. Makes decisions slowly and changes them quickly. Feels that he can do it himself. He will learn all he can and that way he'll know it and save money by not needing to pay someone. His business will struggle to stay alive for a few years max while he's figuring this out and then it will die.
2. Takes some risks. Makes decisions promptly but doubts it after. Usually well educated. Knows that he'll waste time by trying to learn so he'll find someone that knows, but will try the minimal and if it works, he'll consider more. His business will get a small boost, level out, and then fall back to where it was before. It will stay alive a lot longer if he repeats this action. It will continue just above the level of survival, but will never reach stable comfort.
3. Is a risk taker by nature, but calculates by placing it with others. Makes decisions quickly but changes them slowly. The decision is made in relation to his end goal, not his current circumstances, so he chooses not to reconsider it. He finds the same person that #2 found, but goes with the platinum package. He's slightly afraid, but trusts his investment. His business takes off, and he repeats the risk at a greater measure. He usually walks away from his business very successful. He is often not formally educated, though he can be, but is absolutely a thinker.
Now those are just personalities. But business positioning is a reflection of personality, and online marketing/social media success or failure is a result of the business model/position. Most overlook the importance of personality and mindset, and those who do, have no chance at making it. If you want the success of a successful business person you must develop the mindset of a successful business person.
Let's step a tad deeper into this puddle. Puddle. Please. it's a freaking river and we're a few inches in. The first thing you need to do is figure out WHERE you are currently positioned...and you will NOT be able accomplish this by asking a family member or friend. The second thing you're going to need to notice is who your ideal client is, which will tell you WHERE they are. Then you need to figure out what they NEED in terms of products/service from you, and following that, you need to figure out what they WANT. Here's one of those crafty technique areas. You answer their need by expressing it to their want. People buy based on emotion and then they justify it logically. But that's only the wrapping paper.
If you can answer their needs, you have only met (at BEST) whatever is expected of you. Now you need to look at the other service providers in your niche or market. This will tell you where you're positioned. Look at everything they are doing and jump into your clients' shoes for a while. What makes you different from the others? Why should they choose you? Price becomes the default differentiating factor between you and the next dude if the value is unknown or unclear. When price is the differentiating factor between you and your competitor, your business is essentially dead. So how do you avoid this?
Backtrack. Go back to the needs and wants of your ideal client. Except this time you must come up with an extraordinary solution. The steps for doing this begin with brainstorming. Write down every sane and insane idea that comes to your mind. Then consider each one and look into the ones you choose to keep. Now when we say "extraordinary" we don't mean "just kind of different," which is why it is going to take some time to think through. But you have one chance at reputation and you can't mess up.
Going back to where we were, you can now see how your solutions are so much different then anything your competition offers. If businesses in your niche were cows, yours had better be a purple one or else you're going to be eating the same bread and butter as the rest. This may be a bit soothing: statistically, people are willing to pay 4 times the price for twice the quality. Who's got the better end of that deal? You of course! But how are you going to let them know that what you are offering is twice as good as whatever else is out there? This gets a bit tricky.
As we mentioned earlier, people buy based on emotion and then justify it logically. The techniques for engaging that are summed up as EMOTIONAL RESPONSE MARKETING. People know precisely within TWO SECONDS whether your website is right for them or not. Two seconds!! That gives you one second to grab their attention and engage an emotion, and another second to convince them that you're their guy. This process is very technical because you need to get inside your clients' heads. You don't need to have "slick" websites or business cards but you do need to have them made correctly. Colors send subconscious messages. Pictures. Videos. Deeper still, you are targeting four types of people: 2 left brain and 2 right brain. They have totally different decision making processes. For example, one of the left brain types will care about the scientific calculations and statistics of the product/service and wants the steps in chronological order, while one of the right brain types is more concerned about how it will make him feel and whether or not other people buy the product/service.
This is the beginning of creating a working business model. This is how you begin to position yourself in your clients' eyes. The fact that you own a business does NOT guarantee that you'll make money in it any more than standing in a garage guarantees you'll become a car.
It is absolutely necessary to have the categories of the business system separated AND delegated in the right place and in the right way. You can't be everything in your business. It will never work. Remember that if you try to be everything to everyone, you will end up being nothing to anyone. Stick with what you're good at. And do nothing more. You find those who play at what you work at. And if you can't get the funds to pay them, barter, trade, partner...do something but don't try to do what you're not good at.
Keep in mind that all this stuff comes well before a business is even remotely prepared for social media and online exposure. Yup. And if you've already started, you've probably cut your chances big time. Bringing a business back to life is an art. It's not easy, but it's beautiful.
Once we get the skeleton in place, we can begin to develop strategies, and only after that can we work with tactics. Most people jump straight to the tactics, the "secrets," without having any of the bones, muscles, or nerves in place. Only after your business has positioned itself properly can we consider integrating social media. INTEGRATING... not just using or creating an account. Here's where it cuts though: if you do use social media incorrectly it will be very difficult to correct the mistakes...but if you don't use it, you have much less of a chance at making it at all. That's just the direction business has taken. You can't run a business today the same way you were able to 3 years ago.
If you want to have the results of a business ninja, you must train and condition like a business ninja. To have something you have never had, you must do something you have never done.
We recognize the immense need. We feel so strongly about helping businesses transition into the new era of media and marketing because we watch daily how one incorrect action is one more business that is on its way out. Nathan and I have decided to combine our knowledge and business consulting strengths, and we invite any business that is prepared for the next level of growth, to contact us to help you position your personal brand or organization for the next step in business opportunities. We are warning all, however, to be ready for an unearthly stampede.
