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by
Eddie Velez
Success by Design
 When
it comes to marketing, there are many strategies and tactics,
but nothing beats understanding human nature and using common
sense. In a social media driven world, funny tactics, hyperbole
and exaggeration will get you only so far—since sooner or later
the dots will be connected and you’re out of business.
Ask yourself, “What do I do when I see something online or in
social media that I’m interested in?” If you’re like most, you
Google it and ask your peers on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or
Twitter (to name a few) what they’ve heard and think.
In a study done by Eric Qualman in 2009, it showed that 78% of
people who use the Internet and social media trust what their
peers have to say over advertising. So what does this all mean
to you? If you understand human nature and use common sense, you
will always put your best foot forward and get better results.
So here are a few tips and points to think about, as you promote
yourself or company.
Know Your Audience
I know that this is a “DUH!” statement. However, too many people
DO NOT know their audience; they assume they do and we already
know what ASSUME can do.
By this I mean, what is the demographic (are they young, middle
aged, elderly, single, married, religious, agnostic, liberal or
conservative); how does that demographic think in general; what
interests that demographic?
For example, a married person’s priorities may be more family
and child safety oriented, while a single person’s priorities
may be more self-centered and riskier. If the demographic is
women, they think differently than men. So you need to know who
you are speaking to!
Think Human Nature: What Would Get Your Attention?
While this is a generality, people
tend to think in the same way about certain things. For
instance, in general, people do not like to be sold; people do
not like to be made to feel they don’t know or are ignorant.
People like to do business with people they like. People buy
from people they trust or someone THEY trust trusts.
Ask yourself, “If I were online, what would catch MY attention
and make me look further?” Is it the flashy pop-up or is it an
article I read with many good comments? Is it the advertising
video (akin to a television commercial today) or an interview in
the news or a talk show I follow? Is it someone being generous
with their time, offering to help me with answers, or someone
pushing an agenda and a sale?
These are things you need to pay attention to when strategizing
your marketing plan and choosing your tactics.
Aggressive Humility
No one likes it when another person
is arrogantly proud about his or her accomplishments to the
point of having to permanently graft their hand on their back,
for patting it so much. However, there is something about a
humble spirit that seems to be very attractive!
Now, I’m not saying you don’t let the world know what you can do
and have accomplished. That would be marketing suicide! But HOW
you do it is another story.
Whenever possible, post information from a third party who had
something to share about you. Testimonials, articles in the
news, grateful comments from others regarding your generosity!
You see, these tactics will get people to admire and like you,
and when they like you, they will listen to what you have to
say.
While marketing is far broader than these tips, in the world of
social media and in your daily interactions, these tips will
help you position yourself in the best way to grow your network.
And, the bigger your network, the bigger your reservoir for
future business! After all, it’s rarely about what you know, but
rather WHO you know—so make sure you meet plenty of people.
Happy tweeting!
Eddie Velez is a 20-year marketing and PR
professional,
web and graphic designer, and blogger. He publishes a
blog, The
Ruminations of Eddie Velez
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