No we're not talking about food, gifts or trinkets although this could definitely be a great way to get noticed but alas it could become very expensive for you...
Stage Two - Bringing something to the table...
What are people talking about?
What we are talking about is taking note of trending and current topics that are catching people's attention as we mentioned in our first point 'listening'. By browsing through the news or by receiving regular updates about what is happening within your industry market you are kept up to snuff on what is 'popular'.
It doesn't just have to be industry specific however take this year's sporting extravaganza for instance. The Olympics came to town like a force five hurricane creating a massive 'buzz' around the city, the country and the event itself, it has since been dubbed as the first digital Olympics..
Look for Trending Topics
What does that mean? Well put simply, it was the most talked about sporting event in social media history. The event inspired a phenomenal amount of online activity and coverage, during its two week life span the Olympics generated over 150 million tweets to be sent, beating the whole figure for the Beijing Olympics within 24 hours of this year's opening ceremony. This just goes to show the power of social media and the way that it can penetrate down into a community far deeper than it would have been previously possible to do.
There has been a definite power shift within the market over the course of the last five years; the 'power' has been taken out of the hands of the marketing departments and from companies to a certain extent. It is being redistributed to the growing number of people taking it upon themselves to write, blog, review and interact with potentially millions of others on the net.
Find a Niche
By listening to your market you have spotted the 'niche' that you're going to attack. Make it worthwhile, something that people will respond to. Let me paint you a picture;
You're a sports company for instance and you want to launch a new range of trainers of running, they are the height of modern technology giving you that extra boost with every step you take. Sound good right...
Yes, but only beneficial to the right people, you need to find an aspect of the product that relates to a common issue people are facing. 'When I run I get a bad back' or 'i can't run because it hurts my knees' this is your niche, your trainers are specifically designed to help reduce this trauma to the body. A fact that people may not be aware of unless they are told.
Seems like a simple idea, but by doing so you bring something to the table of value and people are more inclined to take note and spend time reading through what you have to say...
Don't give them a chance to turn their attention, make sure you are telling people something they want to know and have a thirst for.
Next week we'll publish step 3 on "Social Media Interaction"