President of Groundwork Promotions, Paul Holze and I were discussing online promotions, and more specifically, how to use social media with more intent. I wanted to know, when I sit down to write or create content, what do I say or what would do I want to communicate? How do I decide those things? To help guide the process, I asked ahead of time, “What do I want to achieve?” and then I let that question be the guiding force in developing more questions, when deciding how and what to share online. We came up with 6 potential purposes for social media content creation:
- Communicate the brand, image, philosophy, or messaging.
- Increase sales or encourage new business.
- Offer specials or promotions for existing business.
- Sell additional products or services.
- Explore our market, try new approaches through experimentation and get feedback.
- Provide greater value to our current followers.
Paul came up with number 6, and I asked him to elaborate on it. I asked him, “How does social media content provide greater value to current followers, or any followers?” And here is what he said:
“I’d say the primary value for followers would be the spark or inspiration, both for the visual art and creation, so they could see and read how social media or media in general, can be used in a different, powerful, and intentional way.”
Paul also said,
“I think the promotional philosophy itself is of value. In a world that has an otherwise negative perspective or relationship with technology and social media, I think followers (who are clients, non-clients, or prospective clients) get the value from being inspired and seeing and experiencing social media in a different light, and furthermore, how they might approach it themselves if it was more powerful, self-expressive, and intentional.”
I asked him to elaborate on this thought: “In a world that has an otherwise a negative perspective or relationship with technology and social media.” I wanted to know more about what he meant by this idea. He said,
“In a couple different ways. First, rather than focusing on the potential to connect, express, and create, social media is otherwise promoted or seen as a tool that is “supposed to be done.” There isn’t a greater purpose attached to it; and as such, it becomes a drag or task for businesses to do. An obligation; not an opportunity.”
Secondly, (and this is more so technology as a whole) is that in society (at least in the West) there is more of a dystopian view of technology. Instead of being tools to create the future with, they are seen as tools that will doom us in the future. We’ve obviously experienced the dark side of technology and how it can be used. But that doesn’t negate what it could otherwise be promoted as and utilized.”