Are you working with the Adams family or the Brady Bunch?

I've had a bit of a revelation at work this week.  It seems that social media is driven by nepotism. Doh!

Though we tend to think about the various social media platforms as individuals, we should actually be viewing them as families.  Dig just below the surface and they are all interrelated, which means that social media optimisation (SMO), the term used for all the activities you do to ensure visibility of your brand, is now more important than ever.

Knowing how the platforms link, lets you decide where to focus your efforts and the content to produce to increase engagement and build your reputation.  In other words, consider how each social media tool encourages sharing and whether they are trusted by the audiences you're trying to reach, before you rush to create a Facebook page or a Youtube channel.

Choose tactics that play to your strengths as a company and attract your customers, but remember that imagery, video and high quality content need to be part of your plan no matter which platform you use. They may be different families, but they're all run by humans.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list it's worth remembering that

Google owns Google+ and Youtube

Yahoo owns Tumblr and Flickr

LinkedIn owns Slideshare, Pulse and Bizo

Facebook owns Instagram and Whatsup

Twitter owns Vine and Periscope

Just as families favour their own, the biggest social media sites aim to maximise visibility across their channels, so make sure you create content in the most shareworthy format for each group.  Hubspot recently did a great blog piece if you need inspiration.

Which do you favour?

Marketing tips from unlikely sources - Hairdressers

This post in one in a series, where I take a break from my usual rantings, to consider the marketing lessons which lurk right under our noses.

Other random observations can be found here - dog breeders, cinemas, children and even Father Christmas - enjoy.

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Hairdressers in various forms have been around for centuries, perfecting a customer service model which most online brands could benefit from replicating.  Bear with me and all will be made clear.

1. It's not about you

Steven Covey famously said: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”  In other words, I don't really care about your business, I want to know what's in it for me.  Hairdressers get this.  You show up, take the chair and the first thing the stylist typically asks is 'what are we doing today?' Instantly you (the customer) are in the driving seat, talking about your wants and needs, not listening to what the salon has to sell.

Once you've told them what prompted your visit they'll begin to make suggestions, which either stretch your comfort zone (how about a restyle) or reassure you that they can solve your problem (your frizz will be returned to glory in no time).  Stylists know what they're capable of, but they want their customers to feel in control of the process. They make it personal.  Do you?

2. Think beyond your main product

Sure you'll get your haircut, but to keep that feel good factor high, what about a drink, free wifi, a glossy magazine and possibly even a head massage. Hairdressers want their customers to be continually reassured that they've made the right choice and these little extras all help with our self talk (yes I am worth it, maybe I should also get a manicure, they care about me and I like this experience, so I should book my next session now.)

Customers may set out to address a specific problem, through that oh so important keyword search, but ultimately we're easily distracted by things we find along the way.  What about a free ebook, sign up to the newsletter, buy your ticket now?  Customers decide what's valuable to them and it's probably not your main service that keeps them coming back for more.

3. Build a relationship

Hairdressers often find themselves as confidants.  Their loyal clientele share the minutia of everyday life, revelling in an honesty which can only come from looking your worst in a mirror filled room. Over time, we take advice on not just hair related matters, but on what to watch and read, the restaurants to book, holidays to take - you get the idea.

It's that all important trust factor, which turns passing trade into repeat customers.  It makes you the 'go to'.  It keeps you top of mind, so you're the first person to be recommended.  Seth Godin wrote a whole book around the concept of permission marketing which is well worth a read.

Do you manage your customers to the point of sale and then skip into the sunset, or do you have a relationship which creates a loyal following?  Social media has made it easier than ever to engage with customers - ignore it at your peril.

4. Inspire your customers

Hairdressers change their hair on a regular basis.  Between visits my stylist goes from short to long, blonde to pink and throws in a perm, just to show what's possible.  While I suspect myself and 99% of her customers get 'the usual' every time they visit, it doesn't mean we don't appreciate the variety.

Sometimes we just want to know that someone is keeping on top of the latest trends so we don't have to.  Could you curate third party posts or produce a regular top 10 list of what's hot for your industry? Also think about how your brand is currently perceived and what you could be doing to show you're at the cutting edge (every pun intended).

5. Have some check out extra's

Running low on shampoo?  Have you tried this fabulous new ...?  Wallet in hand to pay for the main event, it's very easy to add a little extra to the bill.  In our minds we prolong the joy by taking something tangible home and we trust the recommendations of those who've just brought our tired locks back to life.  Hairdressers use our feel good high, to raise their revenues, while we interpret it as extra attention to our needs.

When your customers check out, do you send them a boring old thank you page, or do you return a list of further reading links, downloads, surprise discounts etc.  The last impression is often as important as the first, especially when you want customers to bookmark your site.  Make it memorable.



Hairdressers build experiences, (Osadia take this to new limits).  The most successful ones entertain, inform and inspire in equal measure. Let's stop sharing information and create businesses which touch our customers and keep them coming back for more.


Don't know how?  Ask me.

Is your brand wearing pyjamas?

Today, my children went to school in their pyjamas - not because I got fed up asking them to get dressed, but to raise money for charity and mess with the minds of the public we passed en route.

This morning our school felt like a different place.  Same pupils, teaching and support staff, but the change of usual attire (i.e. everyone wearing pyjamas instead of uniform), seemed to cause a mass mind shift.  The generic sea of navy blue children, had given way to multi-coloured, man made fibres and an air of levity.  Nightwear it seems, is a great leveller.

As a marketer I often find brands which appear to be wearing pyjamas. They don't care which typeface they use or whether the colours on their flyer match those on their website. They write in capitals to get our attention and underline words which aren't hyperlinks. They don't bother with a spell checker or a copywriter and have no follow up plan on the rare occasion that someone should respond. Zzzzzzzzzz.

We all know how much first impressions count.  While some people do their best work in a onesie, the majority of us don the garb that best matches our chosen career, seeing it as a vital element in shaping how people perceive us.

Mark Twain once said, ‘Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.’

Your brand may not be naked, but pyjama wearing is every bit as unnerving for your customers.

Why do you need Social Media? [Video evidence]

First there was economics, then freakonomics and now socialnomics, a term coined to show the impact of social media on our everyday lifes. Feel left behind yet?

Globally, more people now own a mobile device than own a toothbrush. Let's just hold that thought for a moment (especially if you're a dentist).

Unless electricity runs out, this trend to a wired world can only gather pace. And yet ... I'm still amazed at how many businesses have failed to join the social revolution, citing fear and irrelevance as the top two reasons to avoid joining the online masses.

If this sounds like you, take action TODAY.

A simple google search could get you up and running in your lunch hour and specific tools for mastering each social platform abound.

In case you still need a push, consider these fascinating facts

• 45% of internet users aged 65+ use Facebook
• 73% of US adults use social networks, daily
• 83% of US teenagers use Instagram
• There are more female than male users on Facebook but more males than females on Twitter
• 89% of 18-29 year olds access social media

Your customer is out there - expecting to find you.  Do you really want to disappoint them?

I'd be happy to get you started, just leave your burning social media question in the comments section below.

Do you work better under pressure?

It's been a long week.

Projects have started to pile up.

Deadlines are appearing in my diary.

Yet daily I flit between post holiday blues and crazily motivated new year productivity.

This schizophrenic state is not good and often leads to late night working and caffeine overload. Ironically, it also fuels some of my best work.

Thankfully, it seems I'm not alone.  Today I stumbled upon a link encouraging us all to ship something everyday for a week.  In this case it's write a blog post.  Find out more at http://yourturnchallenge.strikingly.com/  Seven days is enough to form a habit and this could just be the kick I/we/you need to make 2015 the best yet.

The cheerleader within has me clicking on the link, while the slipper wearing freelancer reminds me of the steadily increasing to-do list already on my desk.

Is this short term pain for long term gain?  Let's see.

Who's with me?

January is the best time to fail

Ignoring the youtube footage above, no one is watching.

Expectations are low.

We're all trying to get back on the treadmill, so cutting each other a little more slack than usual.

Kick off a new years resolution, if you fail, you can always start again in February.

Make a list, or even several.

Declutter your desk.  Bin the pens that don't work and buy some new stationery.

Anything that eases you into the year, focuses your mind and readies you for the challenges ahead.

Do it in January.

Storytelling - Invented authentic content?

This week, the UK celebrated Bonfire night (also known as Guy Fawkes). It's an excuse to party and set off fireworks in remembrance of a foiled plot to blow up parliament in 1605. Who knew that such a rebellious act, could result in a reason to celebrate? Maybe there were switched on content marketing folks even in ye olden days...

Consumers today still love a good story.  If you can make your audience care about your product, you're half way to the sale. Trouble is, we need to forge that emotional connection faster than most corporates can get their content through management, accounting and legal.

Guy Fawkes was a real person and the gunpowder plot an actual plan, but what if you don't have an event to write about? Could you make one up?  Inventing an authentic piece of content is all the rage.

Movember

National Boss Day

Take your children to work

National Grandparents Day

In each case above, the creators have manufactured a situation, to raise the visibility of their product or cause.  Their next task is to ensure the public engage, by showing them how to get involved while imprinting their message into the mindset at the same time. Think of it like a mass call to action.

As Kickstarter has shown time and again, involving your customers in content creation is the best form of engagement a company can hope for. That sense of personal responsibility drives word of mouth and builds a loyal following.  Rallying behind an event gives us a purpose, makes us part of the crowd and now through the wonder of social media, lets us share our efforts with the wider world, for extra credit. Win, win.

Be warned though, invented content will only work if it's true to your company values and brand.

By all means, capture imagination, but to be believed, your idea has to match the expectations your customers already have about your company. It should reinforce what they assume to be true, rewarding their decision to spend their hard earned money with you, rather than the competition.

Stories in keeping with your company values and your customers understanding of why you do what you do, have a way of ingraining themselves on public perception for generations to come.

Now, stop reading and go create!