Social networking, coca cola and your firm.

Christmas must be approaching as I think about the Coca-Cola lorry and see pictures in my Facebook feed (by the way as it’s 2020 there won’t be a Coca Cola lorry tour this year).

Why do big companies seem to show us things that have little to do with their product (specially at Christmas) and can you benefit from this trend? Are informality and humour becoming more important in business? Does this help, hinder, feel good, or bad to introverts (go on, you knew there’d be an introvert angle in there somewhere – and I’d love to know your answer).

This blog started as a long rant about social media noise from an introvert. I’m hoping it’s more positive now and will help you think about marketing your business as part of my Christmas blog series.

Social networking

2020 turned many things upside down. One good thing that some people have done is to use social networking platforms to keep in touch with each other more. Genuinely having deeper conversations and supporting each other, isn’t that what real networking is about?

This one to one approach suits introverts and allows us to play to our strengths. Focus your networking on the people that matter to your firm’s growth? It’s not only zoom that allows free video calls and you could even do voice calls across Facebook.

Getting your name out there

“Getting my name out there” is something I hear a lot of, it sounds like a good thing – or is it? One of the things that many people (especially introverts in business) don’t like, is saying something for the sake if it. How does that affect your thinking re “getting your name out there“?

In my view “getting my name out there” is not enough, what should people do (or think) as a result of seeing your name? You’re not running Coca-Cola, you own a small business, your name will never have the same effect and you certainly don’t have a blue-chip marketing budget.

Introverts probably need to think about marketing themselves more, but don’t just “get your name out there“.

Getting to know you

If people can get to know you, they can start to see if they like you and how you’re different. Most people want clients they like. The best way to find people you like is to help people like you, find you, by letting some of your personality out there. One issue is that many introverts don’t like talking much about themselves, which makes it hard.

Do your tweets/ status updates/ Facebook posts and website reflect you, or some crusty ideal you think represents being professional? Which is most likely to attract clients you like?

Perhaps a minute on video will help people know bit about you, even if it’s only on your ‘about us’ page. Let the world see what you’re really like, you never know, they may like you, rather than the person they think you are.

One thought for introverts is that putting something about you “out there” makes it easier to get into conversation later. You won’t believe the number of people who ask me about Scuba diving (did you know it’s what I love doing?).

A flounder, the introvert of the undersea world?

Informality seems to be growing

A couple of years ago Facebook seemed to be growing in terms of person to person connection and LinkedIn was getting crustier. Now it feels to me like LinkedIn is less formal and being used more, do you agree?

I like the structure of a certain amount of formality and I’m not the only one. However many people are less formal on LinkedIn. What can you do that captures that without going against your introvert nature and avoids lots of the the social media NOISE?

Both Facebook and LinkedIn are important in marketing despite the fact that many of us are wary of this. What can you do to use that opportunity?

The word is changing

Like it, or not, the world is becoming less formal. People interact differently than ever before, but they still seek interaction with real people. How will you change the way you change like the changing world, coca cola are adjusting what the lorry does this Christmas.