Don’t Be The Nosey Neighbour. Focus On Your Own Content

 

It’s always tempting to have a look at someone else’s garden, when we need to be concentrating on our own content.

There are always the same people of LinkedIn who want to tell the world how well they’ve done every quarter, the person on Twitter who relishes cutting and pasting inspirational quotes, or the company on Facebook who wants to prove that the team shot down the pub, shows that they’re having a better time than your business. Four words this up, ‘none of this matters.’

They’re At It Again Dear

The focus for what you do is to those who choose to be part of your audience and on your own turf, not those who shout on a hired social space that belongs to someone else where the noise is currently getting even more raucous or now having to pay to prolong your stay (take a bow Facebook and LinkedIn). These are the people who have provided information (email addresses) so you can build a conversation on a one to one level.

What you don’t need to focus too heavily on is listening in to a competitor’s conversation. It’s time to start focusing a lot more whole-heartedly on your message. If what you create is truly useful, relevant and consistent and ties in with what you stand for, then why need to worry about the others?

Nice Content Dear

We are all seeing more advertising messages than ever before, from good old fashioned traditional means (TV, magazines, newspapers) to becoming part of our stream of consciousness via native advertising as seen on Facebook. It is our duty to be seen as interesting enough to engage others and the even better scenario of people telling others through their own networks.  To grow our brands is not based on shouting the loudest in the blind hope for attention and convert as many people as possible, but to convince prospects by communicating openly, that you talk in their language and confirm something that they already know, need a helping hand with and can connect with a compelling message.

Have a look at this innovative campaign from Crimestoppers that shows how creative content can hit home a message for others to interact with, as opposed to a tired old ‘be vigilant’ message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA5do67Q_BM

The message amplifies what Crimestoppers stands for in terms of educating us that the world doesn’t owe us any favours and the ‘putpocket’ concept turns the whole idea of petty theft on its head (is that a guerrilla campaign hidden in there?). The whole project is there to educate, inform and to do something that is truly original.

Lets Keep Visitors & Friends On Our Patch

As businesses, we can’t be distracted by constantly chasing others or listening too intently with the glass cup to the wall on what next door is saying. Lets look to create things that are remarkable to others and want them to come over to our side and interact with what we have to say.

If the world of social platforms represents a community of rented homes looking to make you come into their garden for a short amount of time, lets concentrate on getting the homes that we own ourselves in order so when people come over they feel welcomed, understood in an environment that represents who you are and enticing to come back again.

Image: courtesy of Flickr by vapour trail