You know the one. You love her dearly and are glad she and her family are doing well. But every day, your news feed alerts you that her kids are smarter, funnier, more athletic and more photogenic than your kids. Social media has given rise to an epidemic of panic as we constantly compare our lives to others’ as seen online. We feel it in business, too: we’re never as “liked”, as famous, or as fast as our competitors.
Fortunately, there are a number of things we can learn from that well-meaning “Mother of the Year” to apply to business marketing. Here’s how moms and other people I know are flourishing their personal brands on social media — and what we can learn from them:
“If ya got it, flaunt it.”
This indispensable advice from my grandmother does away with the guilt we feel when touting our assets. In business, if you fail to do this, you fail, period. Be sure to leverage all the marketing channels you use, including social media and email, to remind people how you’re the greatest at what you do. Then when they need you, you’ll come to mind. The remaining six tips are ways to do it with without being annoying.
Be a storyteller.
My dad is a master Pinterest marketer; He uses words and photos for the best effect; he uses it like a blog. A former journalist, he now captains private sailing charters. After every boat trip, he posts an interesting one-paragraph story about his featured passenger of the day to Pinterest and Facebook, along with a photo of the passenger on the boat. Besides being a great read for any newsfeed scroller, his posts make customers feel important. They share these with their friends, and his niche market continues to grow.
Keep it human.
One of my best friends has a feature she uses to great effect on her personal Facebook page to share stuff her young daughter says. It’s called “ACTUAL CONVERSATION,” and what follows is inevitably a hilarious, startling or moving dialog between the child and others. These posts inevitably get lots of comments and shares from all over the globe. People interact with relatable and entertaining content. (Note: If you do something like this for a business, keep the conversations positive.)
Show your messy side.
My cousin homeschools her kids and keeps a family farm with chickens, cows and goats. While she posts triumphs and obviously deserves a slew of medals for her accomplishments, every week there’s a hilarious account of something going awry around the homestead, which keeps her victories and bragging more heartfelt and not boastful. Show your behind-the-scenes, share the nitty gritty of what it takes to make your product or bring your service to the world, and laugh at the mishaps.
Slow clap.
Everyone loves the person who celebrates all your wins. Be sure to laud the big and small accomplishments of your followers and those you follow. A “like” is good; a comment or a share promoting the person or company is better. And, a personal email or handwritten note about it is totally unexpected and will make you stand out way above your competition.
Know your audience.
We’ve all “un-friended” someone whose posts just don’t jive with us. Freedom of speech is cool, but be thoughtful about your brand image. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and consider their reactions before posting anything. Is this something they’d find valuable and want to share? Or, is it only something you like?
Define your voice.
Another friend of mine, an artist, uses photos of his works to help articulate his online voice in response to events. We all share many challenges and triumphs, but the words and tone in which you put yours are part of your brand. Be mindful of who your audience is, and don’t stray from your brand by using discordant verbiage, tone or visual images. You’ll attract who you mean to attract by being honest and authentic to your brand.
Next time you feel panicked at keeping up with the Joneses, put it in perspective. Remember we’re all human, with the same struggles but each with a different voice. Flaunt all you have (neat and messy) to your audience with your unique voice, and you’ll be the social media “Mother of the Year” in your industry.
KALEY SHORTER is the HubSpot-certified marketing manager for Parisleaf. Aligning Parisleaf’s goals and brand with the mysterious inner workings of HubSpot, Kaley pulls it off in time for dinner with the family, disc golf and rocking out on stage at the piano.