I’m not a foodie and I don’t cook…much. But, I like a bunch of Food Network shows, especially the competitions. One of my favorites is The Next Food Network Star. Alton Brown once gave advice to one of the contestants that made so much sense. And, like the cartoons, lit the light bulb above my head. The advice was the key to being on TV isn’t forgetting that the cameras are there, it’s to make the viewers forget the TV is there. That’s the perfect advice for effective social media.
The key to effective social media is to make our readers forget the computer is there!
It’s such a simple concept. But, it’s not always that easy to execute for everyone. We always hear about being engaging, but how many people get you to forget you’re typing to a screen? Even if your posts are many minutes (or even hours) apart. Of the people you follow, who are the ones you chat with most (other than long time personal friends or family)? Most likely, they’re the ones that have a natural, welcoming “voice” to their posts. There are some people that you may not know well in person (or at all) that you feel very comfortable having conversations with, even if a sentence or two at a time.
Effective Social Media for Business
That’s great for your personal posts, but what about effective social media for businesses? With business, you need to balance your own personality and your company’s. There may be some things that aren’t appropriate for your business culture. But, even when in your company’s brand image, your posts will be much more conversational by letting your personality shine through. When engaging customers, the goal is the same. Talk to them like they are standing there face to face. Whether receiving feedback about a recent experience, don’t hide behind the computer screen. Welcome the opportunity to speak with them and get their feedback.
How do you develop this style? Like anything…practice. When posting, read it over and see if it sounds like something you would actually say. Or, do what I do, talk to your computer (or yourself…just don’t answer yourself!) as though it’s listening to you. Anyone that has worked with me has heard plenty of my conversations with my computer…
Thanks, Alton, for the simple, but so effective advice. This inspired me, but what tips or advice all you have heard that resonated with you or gave you that “Ah Ha!” moment? Share how you’ve developed your online “voice”, especially if you’ve had to work at it. Let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions. As always, thanks for reading.