Blogger: Mary Keeley
Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, IL
Bryan Gernert’s recent blog post on iMediaConnection.com, “Old Tricks for Stronger Brand Allegiance” offers usable applications for us. He points to the flaws in the current data-only approach to understanding customer (audience) needs.
He suggests a better method and calls it the “new old school” approach. He says, “Listening to what the audience has to say, and listening to hear why they buy, sell, want, desire, love, reject—is the essential step. Their answers are the best way to learn what they truly value and believe, and to figure out why they do what they do. It’s the kind of insight you could never get from a ‘like’ button.”
What’s the best way to get their answers? Simply by asking them. The application for authors is that by literally asking them what they value and mapping that information against selling patterns in our publishing world, you have the opportunity to connect with your blog and social media audience on a deeper level.
When you examine your target audience in an effort to fully understand what drives their purchasing (reading) interests and expectations, Gernert suggests you divide the process in these three steps (translated for our author world):
- Ask. To connect with people on a deeper level, it is essential to connect with them based on their values. Gernert says there are no short-cuts to this; you need to do the work. For instance, when you blog about a particular topic, ask viewers for their opinion about it, what they like or agree with, and what they don’t. Or ask your Facebook fans to name a books, other than the Bible, impacted their lives most, and why. Ask your followers and fans for their feedback and opinions on a variety of things, especially what’s important in their daily lives, until you have a general understanding of the values and beliefs of those who are connecting with you.
- Learn. Based on the answers you receive, you can adjust your social media efforts to make the connection between your brand and their expressed values and beliefs. For instance you may find that, while you write historical romance, you are attracting young, tech-savvy professional women to your social media community. Therefore, you would want to continually keep up with the latest changes on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. When done well, this method is the most effective means to engage and build brand relationships.
- Go new old school. By engaging people based on what they believe, not just who they’re friends with on Facebook or followers of whom on Twitter, you will reach more of the right people.
Gernert ends his article by stressing, again, the importance of understanding your target audience and what makes them tick. It’s not just a matter of tracking them online (finding who their Facebook friends and Twitter followers are).
What do you think about this? Have you already been using this approach? If so, how are you going about asking people what their values and beliefs are? And has Facebook been your most successful social vehicle for getting answers?
Melissa K Norris
I just asked this morning on my author FB fan page what book influenced or changed your life. Guess I knew more than I though. 🙂
I’ve found by simply asking a question directly on FB and twitter, I get the most responses.
People by nature like to help and offer their opinion and social media lets us take advantage of this. I’m trying to decide what to call my new column for our local newspaper so I put it up for vote on FB. Not only do my readers get to help, but it saves me from deciding. 🙂
If anyone wants to cast their vote here’s the link http://www.facebook.com/melissaknorris
Thanks, Mary.
David Todd
This all seems very advanced to me. After more than 3 years of blogging I have 14 followers. My new FB author’s page as 6 fans. When I post something on my FB author page it shows up on my personal page. There is so very much to learn here I despair of ever being an effective self-marketer, not to mention that it was ingrained in me in my upbringing not to blow my own horn.
Not sure how to use what you’re writing about, Mary.
Caroline
More useful tips, Mary! These thoughts really support that notion of buidling community over promotion. Get to actually know each other and form bonds! I know that I personally feel more connected to an author or blog when the writer lets us into his or her life and engages in conversation.
I love what this information emphasizes about using what we learn about our readers. Like a teacher modifies lesson plans to suit her changing students year to year (or a parent to guide his unique children!), we can take what we learn through conversation with readers and modify content to better serve.
Thanks, Mary!
Cheryl Malandrinos
Very interesting and helpful information again today. This is why I love visiting this blog.
Listening is definitely an art form I feel I need to work on. I like blogs like this one where I am encouraged to share my opinions and I try to remember to apply that to my posts where appropriate. It’s not always successful, but I keep working at it.
Some of the FB groups I belong to use this method and it seems to work. I usually use my blogs.
Sarah Thomas
Just ask! A universal piece of advice. I’m in fundraising and the #1 way to raise money is to ask people for it. I’m guessing the #1 way to reach readers is to ask them how they’d like to be reached. Navigating social media can be overwhelming, but it does put authors in touch with readers in a very “real-time” kind of way!
Mary Keeley
I’ve been “listening” to your great answers. David, Caroline answered your question well. And Melissa, Cheryl, and Sarah shared practical examples. We can “learn” a lot about what makes our audience tick from answers to the questions we ask. At the same time, you need to give them a window into who you are. The two together build connection. Just remember that what your perspectives and what you say must always be a true reflection of who you are as an author and what you write–your brand.