It was not that I was eavesdropping, but it was hard not to hear the conversation within earshot, particularly when it pertained to a subject I spend my time devoted to.

A non-content marketer was advising her friend on social media marketing. Albeit, with good intention, it was perturbing to hear the advice given to be so general. “All the big brands are on social media,” she said, “Why do you think they are on it?”. “Have a look at what they do; they are doing it like this, and like that”, she enthusiastically goaded her sceptical friend. It was this part of the conversation that bothered me the most.

I am not a fan of the brands whose social media pages were mentioned. They’re too safe – it looks a lot more like advertising and branding, not social media, not fun, not driving the conversation, and certainly not building tribes. More like relying on the crutch of yesteryears success.

Some of the more established companies seem afraid, don’t get it yet or unable to face the truth that marketing has changed. And I think that’s why the friend was having a problem with social media.

From what I could gather from the one-sided conversation, the friend couldn’t see the benefit. They were already doing what the other brands were doing – endlessly promoting the business, but no one seemed to care or, more to the point, no new sales.

The trouble is, you can’t do what everyone else is doing. By nature, social media is an expression of a unique brand personality and communities of people who like that personality. No two personalities are ever the same, and not every personality gels. But that’s a good thing because if you are specific about who you will appeal to, it makes the journey easier and more fun.

And of course, it requires patience, carefully nurturing and building the connection with people likely to be paying attention. You must take the time to understand the people within your community and discover fresh new ways to be appealing and drive the culture. Take your time, create meaningful, relevant and authentic content, and people begin to take notice. Eventually, they buy.

Also, to all the CEOs, Marketing Professionals, Founders, if you need help managing your social media profiles, framing your brand stories, building communities, and increasing profitability, my team and I would love to help. Please choose one of our Content Marketing Packages here to get started. If you would like to discuss a bespoke package, get in touch here.