Social Media is Fun When There is No Pressure
No kidding. We all know how effortless social media can feel when we are doing it for personal reasons. Think of how sites like Facebook is an addiction for some people.
When social media is done without expectations or pressure, we are in a different state of mind where our actions flow. This is when sharing and creating posts is fun and effortless. And we find a sense of fulfillment in being able to connect with others in a convenient and easy way.
Some people have been able to create sizable audiences because of how much they enjoy creating content and having people respond positively to what they have to say.
So then, businesses started asking themselves, if social media is so easy and effortless, why not harness the power of online conversations for their own brands?
Social Media is Not So Fun When There Are Expectations
When social media becomes work and money is at stake, fun and effortlessness seem to really diminish. What used to be fun becomes more of an obligation.
I’m sure you’ve had the experience of looking up brands on Twitter and finding that these companies might only have about 100 followers or so. And their last post was probably quite some time ago. Many companies really don’t have a dynamic online presence, the way we might imagine it to be.
Why Does Social Media Seem More Difficult When It Comes To Business?
There is a lot for brands to think about
- Using social media for business purposes does require strategy and direction.
- There are PR issues that need to be considered.
- Also the messaging needs to strike a balance between self promotion and personalized conversation. Being overly promotional is a turn off for many people.
- Audiences need to be clear about how they can benefit from a particular brand’s offerings. Quite a bit of strategy is needed to carry this off without sounding like a spam bot.
Quality social media strategies require a lot of small details. Collectively these add up to the ideal outcome.
On a day to day level, they carry the illusion of being a waste of time, when there are so many other pressing obligations to handle.
A Happy Middle Ground?
How do we take the fun, carefree, connected, engaged online social personality and channel it into brand campaigns? I do believe that a happy middle ground can be achieved when we learn to shift our perceptions and trust in our inner resources.
A Frame of Mind for Social Media
Having the right frame of mind every as you work on a campaign might sound frivolous to most people. But if you want your online presence to be better than those of most people, then give this concept a chance.
The social media frame of mind for business objectives requires:
- that you get excited about what you offer and finding ways to be conversational about it
- putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and relying on your gut instincts to hone in on the human aspect of how they relate to your brand
Instead of first turning to tangible solutions, like the latest new platform, app, or software product, it is wiser to first invest in truly effective strategies that focus on how customers think, feel and want.
Once you understand what your audience needs, then think about how technology can improve experiences for both you and your audience. For more ideas on this, read this article by Mike Corak, VP of Tallwave, “Content Strategy First, Shiny Objects Second.”
Keep this in mind. The things that have gone viral often did not start out with this intention, nor was there much strategy and direction in mind. Most of the time, they are done with a free spirit and the enjoyment that ensued was able to compound and spread.
The ideal frame of mind is the one you are in when you are posting and sharing things without any type of pressure. The challenge is tapping into this state to create quality business campaigns. This is where brainstorming comes in handy.
For inspiration, do a search on successful social media campaigns. In most cases, you’ll find that establishing a true connection with people was the pivotal factor.
Once you have mastered the art of transitioning between the state of creative social nirvana and organized action, then you can have all the fun you want with selecting the right technology for your specialized needs.
With this balance established, your focus will be on giving to your audience through quality conversations and offerings. And likewise the people who follow you will have more reasons to reciprocate and support your endeavors.
Social and Logical 
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