Sharing, not Selling: The Big Deal With Social Media

For those of you out there who think that social media is strictly for selling, you’re dead wrong. Advertising is for selling. Social media on the other hand is for sharing. Sharing your skills by positioning yourself or your business as the expert.

For those of you still trying to sell on social media instead of share, here’s a little lesson - substitute your own product or service in the following example and the thoughts will still hold water:

You’re on social media to make people happy - your presence on social media should be designed to keep people happy.

Picture this. You run a business as one that sells kitchen knives. You’re not on social media to sell those knives, that’s what advertising is there for. You’re on social to speak to the importance of having the right knife for the right job. You’re there to teach people about knives and respond to their questions or comments about your company and its knives. You make connections through your knives and to carve out conversations.

Kitchen knives come in a variety of blade styles; each blade is designed to perform different tasks. So, talk about them. Talk about knife blades, handles, edges, blade materials that work best for various jobs. Talk about the importance of keeping a knife sharp. Talk about the history of knives. Develop interesting associations with other subjects through your knives. The list is virtually endless and there are endless ways to talk about it all. Be creatively in your thinking. But always bear in mind that social media is a forum for conversation, for passing relevant information that will teach people something or help them in some way. Give people something to think about. Get them talking. Give them a reason to come back to your site regularly. You’re on social media to make people happy and your consistent presence on social media should be designed to keep them happy.

Be creative. Be original. Be funny if you like. Be a fun brand. And don’t take yourself too seriously. 

Allow your social media content to spread its wings. Dream up new and interesting ways to present and share information about your company and its products or services. You know things about your product or service that nobody else outside your company knows. So, share. Use video. Stream video. Show and tell. Show people having fun with your products - make content a social event. Be colorful. Be unique. And don’t forget to have fun. You might've raised your eyebrows at that last one, but if you enjoy creating the content, then it’s almost certain that your enjoyment will be reflected in your social media post. Don’t shy away from ‘funny’. Social Media has an incredible sense of humor. Be creative. Be original. Be funny if you like. Be a fun brand. And don’t take yourself too seriously.

It doesn’t matter if you run a small business that lacks the budget to compete with the bigger boys. Social media doesn’t care. You don’t have to compete. Identify and carve your own niche; then expand it, solidify it, and secure it. Create a following. Extend your reach. Build brand loyalty. Social media is not governed by borders. Want to stretch your content’s wings internationally? Social media is the passport that allows you to travel anywhere, even on a small budget.

… you’re delivering value. And who on earth doesn’t love value?

Through well-written content that's varied, interesting and engaging, you’re delivering value. And people everywhere love value.

What else adds value? Sharing different content, on different platforms, in different formats, while staying true to your brand’s culture across platforms is also valuable.

People don’t like people who don’t share.

If you’re not feeling particularly creative or confident about your social media efforts then reach out to someone who can help you develop a strategy; one that leaves room for your efforts to evolve over time. As the world’s most successful brands will tell you, the long-term payback of sharing over selling is worth the effort. Actually, it’s not a choice, it’s a necessity. We learned it in kindergarten: People don’t like people who don’t share.

Social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so we need to master the art.