Why Your PR and Social Networking Strategies Aren’t Working
19Jun2008 Filed under: Social Networking Strategies Author: Nancy MarmolejoIt needs to be understood so I’m just going to come right out and say it:
Social networking and PR tools are NOT solutions to getting more visibility, they are TOOLS.
Before you use a tool, you have to know how to use it. You can buy a blow torch, but unless you know how to use it, the thing is pretty useless. Same goes for getting known. You can employ a number of strategies, but unless you understand how and why you’re using them, most likely they’ll end up on your “I tried that and it didn’t work” list.
Yes, I heard you sigh right now. We all have that list, don’t worry.
Here are some preliminary steps that need to be understood if you want your PR and social networking strategies to work for you:
1. Understand your target market/ideal client.
This is huge and 80% of entrepreneurs are unclear on this. Most people are too vague and general when it comes to defining the target market. You need to get under the skin of your target market, understand what keeps them up at night, where they go for fun, what they read, what kind of pajamas they sleep in, what they eat for breakfast.
2. Understand how you help your target market.
What problem does your business solve for them? What pain point does it alleviate? This is real basic marketing stuff but until you know how your business and your expertise can impact other people’s lives, you’re going to be treading water.
3. Claim your medicine.
I sincerely believe that we all hold a special gift inside of us, I call it our “medicine”. Not like aspirin or anything like that, but a spiritual medicine. Our message- and our businesses- are reflections of that medicine. Until you claim your medicine and identify the importance of it, then your motivation for getting in the spotlight will lag. It’s not about YOU getting into the spotlight, it’s about getting your medicine and your message into the spotlight. If you had the cure for cancer, would you hide it? If you have a powerful message that you’re keeping hidden, then you’re doing the same thing.
4. Connect your PR and social networking strategies to you and your style
If everyone is saying to do audio yet you don’t like to do audio, then maybe it’s not for you. Or maybe you need to invest in some training or coaching to help you. If everyone is saying to go on Twitter, yet you can’t stand the fast paced nature of it, then don’t go on it! Right now we’re lucky enough to have an abundance of tools and ways of getting known. If the cyber flavor of the week doesn’t appeal to you, then don’t try to force yourself into it. Your discomfort will show up in your presence and that is not good for your credibility or the impression you make on others.
The best advice I can give is to let your medicine guide you. Listen deeply within and understand the type of impact you want to make. Understand who your medicine is for, how to get it to people, and the impact it can have on the world.
Get crystal clear on that and THEN implement the tools.
Here’s to your sizzibility,
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- Tags: Social Networking
2 Responses to “Why Your PR and Social Networking Strategies Aren’t Working”
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@mattceni
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Maybe we’re just splitting hairs here, but I see social media as just another channel. Channel-tool-channel-tool. Maybe the same. But to your points-and they’re good-people need to understand the channel and have the right strategy, then tactics to pursue. It helps to have a stated outcome before starting any external outreach program.
Thanks for sharing.
@mattcenis last blog post..PR No Longer Controls the Message…So What?
Maria Mar
June 27th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Hi, Nancy,
Today, instead of responding to your new blog entry, I’ve come seeking a specific topic, and alas, I’ve found it. As always, you have something important to say about something important.
Today I went to Facebook with a specific goal in mind. In my next Write to Dream Radio Show I will interview an editor from one of the top publishing Houses. I am right now seeking among my Facebook friends and beyond for three special women to invite as special guests in the audience. I introduce these audience guests at the beginning of the show, and they get great PR.
I’ve already examined dozens of women who meet the general criteria: women, experts, Latinas. (The editor for the show is for Latino books.) Will you believe, my beloved business comadre, that not ONE of the dozen or so women I’ve checked has any criteria in their profile that I can use to determine if they are a good match for the program, what they do or if they’ve written or are writing a book? Here are some of the mistakes or omissions that I’ve found in these profiles.
1. No profile!
I’m serious. Why would you get a Facebook profile and then write NO profile. Many women had only their website, educational and work information. But they wrote nothing personal at all.
2. No personal information.
Some women placed quotes by other people in their profile. Why would you give YOUR space away to someone else? Don’t you believe that what YOU have to say has value? When I go to your profile, I am interested in you and I want to know who you are and what you have to say. I am looking for your gift, your Medicine. Giving away this space to Sophocles or Aristotle is giving away your power!
3. No voice.
Other women wrote about their business or what they do, but did not convey their personal voice. They do not give me a sense of who they are. Some women speak in the “we” instead of the “I”, and offer only what they do or produce. The power of Facebook is that it allows you to offer a personal experience of who you are, to speak in your Authentic Voice. In these profiles, I did not get a sense at all of who these women were, so I did not feel motivated to invite them. What you like is not who you are. What you think is not who you are. What you do is not who you are. Your Authentic Voice is the only way I can experience your Essence and Presence.
4. No plans or dreams
Perhaps some of these Latinas are writing or want to write a book, and would benefit from attending the radio show, but since they did not share their wish list, their plans or dreams, I don’t know. This is the classic omission sin in the Law of Attraction. Ask and you shall receive. Omit and you shall be excluded.
5. No mention of their books
While Facebook is not a place to sell, a mention of your book and its title or an inclusion of the book cover in your graphics is a key element. Perhaps there was a Latina there with a self-published book that would capture the attention of the editor I am interviewing, but how would I know?
6. No mention of the type of friends or associations you are looking.
You don’t have to do aggressive marketing to share what type of friends you are looking for, to mention what type of networking opportunities you seek or to invite friends with common interests. This opens the doors to you by helping anyone seeking partners or offering those opportunities to find you.
I hope these ideas help women to write more powerful Facebook profiles that can help them fulfill their professionals, visibility and networking goals.
Thanks for providing a space for us to support each other in this endeavor.
Blessings,
Maria Mar
The Dream Alchemist