The Banana Peels on the Soapbox

Social Media advertising provides a unique opportunity for businesses to really “reach out and connect” with their clients. Think about this : A little more than a dozen years ago, a business would require a toll-free number with an army of “customer service-reps” to deal with an offer or promotion - heavily amplified through traditional print, radio, or television. Remember the old TV pitch - “Call now, our operators are standing by!” Laughably, some businesses still use this tired old come-on, but it is generally associated with a product intended for the geriatric demographic.





The wheel has been reinvented however, and the “contact us immediately” pitch means just that. Social platforms will generate responses before the questions are even formulated! The “Soapbox” no longer requires a megaphone and it is covered with banana peels. The best intended offer can be twisted or perverted into a YouTube gag faster than you can say, “Try our new product.”!





So how does a businesses negotiate this new platform; this new “soapbox”? To begin with, climb off it!        Nobody will listen to you shouting about how much better you are than "Product B". The only way to catch anyone's attention with that route is to build a comedy routine out of it and it's going to cost you a bundle producing the ad.






The “soap box” of the Social Media platform is your very own home. Invite your potential clients into the kitchen for a coffee, or sit them comfortably in your den and talk to them as you would speak with a new neighbour invited into your house and you will have a chance at telling them a bit about your product or service. But be very prepared to listen to their story first. In the age of Social Media, the subject is no longer your product, it is your client. Once you have heard all the "me” your clients can give you, you may just be prepared to tell them about what you have to offer them. This isn't market research. It is the reality of Social Media Advertising. No one gives a tinker's damn about your product. They only want to tell you about themselves.


Get on the soapbox and buy a good insurance policy. It is littered with the cast off banana peels of those who have lost at the approach of “telling the world about their truth”. It's now about listening and the question should always begin with “Tell us about yourselves and what do you think our product can do for you?”


Our firm has become quite adept at using the various Social Media Marketing platforms available in the online world, and we have helped more than a few businesses step delicately off the soapbox and into people's lives with a good degree of success. Contact us for a confidential consultation and be careful not to slip and break your neck on the banana peels on your way to getting in touch with us.
www,RoamBusiness.com