I’m sure you have heard it said many times before; “people think in pictures.”
In written marketing, the words we use have a massive impact on the kind of mental pictures we paint in the minds of our prospective clients or customers.
These pictures help shape how people feel about us and those feelings have a major role in whether they decide to; trust us, buy form us, recommend us etc.
With many, many businesses now embracing social media and putting an increasing amount of information into the public domain, here’s a question to ponder:
“Have you ever stopped to think about the kind of pictures you create in the mind of your prospective clients or customers, when they ‘check you out’ online?”
Social media junkies and Twitter addicts
I’m a passionate user of social media. I’m also excited about the opportunities available via social networking sites.
What I am not is “a social media junkie” or “totally addicted to Twitter / FaceBook etc.”
I notice lots of social media users, using terms like those above, in their online profiles. I’m certainly not suggesting that using these phrases will somehow confuse people into thinking that the profile belongs to a junkie or an addict. I am, however, saying that there’s little to be gained by someone suggesting (even tongue-in-cheek) that their use of social media is out of their control. From a marketing perspective, it’s far better to leverage your profile, so that it’s working 100% for you!
Remember – It’s not just people who use the services who can see your profile.
Your Twitter profile on Google
If you are a Twitter user, when someone does a Google search for your name or company name, your twitter profile is usually on page one. Here’s an example, using a Google search for my name. Notice that it gives my full profile on Google, without anyone having to even visit Twitter to check me out.
Of course, this means if you maximise the positive impact of your Twitter profile, there’s a superb opportunity to have it working for you far beyond the reach of Twitter.
When someone checks you out, make sure that your various online profiles show how totally brilliant you are and what a fantastic investment you are.
I get the impression a lot of Twitter users have become quite savvy with presenting their online profile on various different sites. Do you think this will filter out to everyone until it becomes the done thing, or will it be a way of distinguishing yourself from the crowd?
I’m in the process of putting my blog together & I needed a credible URL to point people to upon the completion of my blog.
Fact: I would NEVER use a service provider who used words like junkie in their marketing.
Some really interesting feedback, thanks.
Interesting.
Ive had more emails regarding this post than any other in past 6 months – mainly, from people using these kinds of phrases in their marketing.
Thanks, Jim.
This is information is very useful. I have since checked my name and blog on Google. It’s so easy to miss these things.
I also appreciate the layout of your blog posts. They are very easy to read – “grab and go” as they say.
Best, Robin
Robin,
Thanks for the comment.
I think it’s important for people to regularly search for their name / their company name and see what comes up.
Reputation management is really important.
Yet another interesting tidbit on Twitter.
I’m still not a user of The Twitter.
Got too much incoming already!
RM
Very true
I nearly said you were a man of very few words – then I remembered!