Social media Reach v. Paid Advertising. Who wins?

What makes you a Digital Marketer?

Remember the scene from the 1980’s classic movie Crocodile Dundee, when our Antipodean hero, new to the big city of America, is strolling the mean streets with his new date and is confronted by 2 thugs brandishing knives and demanding their valuables. Dundee calmly pulls out a knife that is used to gut real wild crocs in the outback of Australia, which is considerably bigger than the assailants weaponry, then says “Naa, this is a knife!” to which the villains, after seeing our hero’s massive piece, turn tail and flee into the night. Dundee turns to his lady and gets a well dissevered hero’s kiss.

Digital Marketing is not a pissing contest for sure, but size does make a difference. I cannot but help look at the number of followers so called Digital Marketers have on LinkedIn.

For me, I have consistently, over the last TEN YEARS, been looking through the types of people on LinkedIn who I could be useful to, and asked them to connect with me. In that time I have amassed over 18,000 business connections and they are all Decision makers!

For me I would only invite decision makers (the organ grinder) who could buy today and not the monkey, who has to have 5 meetings to present to their boss and go through a lengthy procurement process for the essence of your unique selling point to get diluted so much they forgot what you came for.

Time is money. I am the founder of my business and I need to connect with my peers.

I always say to my clients that 10 decision makers on LinkedIn is worth 5,000 giggling students on Facebook.

Maybe it is because I started in Sales first and moved to Marketing later that I am resolute in my thinking.  

One so called Digital marketer I spoke to said they have no time for Twitter. Well we all know what ‘no time’ really means. As a business owner and twenty years of direct sales no time means:

I do not understand, or can equate any value’.

At that point I HAVE NO TIME to explain or show them how my Twitter accounts drive thousands of people each week to my website and to my members. I have stunned clients in a live demonstration of the power of Twitter alone.

Just recently I had this client registered their business, then I advised them I will share their page link of their listing page on my site to just my Twitter accounts, I published, retweeted and then asked them to refresh (I have a page counter on my sites so people can see how many views they have had) and their views went up by 20 clicks in the few minutes it took me to share their business.

This is 20 new people who now know you exist!

Then I share to:

• LinkedIn profile: 18,000+ contacts

• LinkedIn Groups: circa 5 million

• Twitter: 2 accounts circa 8,000 steady (never bought in chafe!)

• Facebook: 200k on business groups and pages

•Pinterest: 3.6 k monthly views

• Reddit

• Mix etc.

And then all hell breaks loose! Some have even accused me of having a team of low paid workers in a sweat shop somewhere 24/7 just clicking like crazy upon my demand! Some who are business savvy get it.

If you have a lot of followers, you can get more people to see your stuff.

A large social media reach has a few other side benefits as well. For example, it shows how long you have been in the game and demonstrates longevity, perseverance, forward thinking (who else was building Facebook pages and groups ten years ago? Me that is who) and more importantly experience to be able to help others!

It is all about Ad Budget!

Now many new kids on the block will argue that size does not matter, it’s about how much budget you have, and I reply; “You assume I am not using a budget and relying purely on my organic reach”.

Assumption is the mother of all screw-ups! Wrong again we do both!

Point is: A lot of organic reach with paid advertising is better than paid with little organic!

To be honest it’s a infantile argument, when the real crux of the matter is; ‘are you telling a story and touching heart strings?’

‘Can you cry?’

This was a fascinating article I read many years ago where journalists, who know that the power of tears can transcend languages and get deep into the viewers, have told interviewees that if you cry, we will get more coverage!

It touches on the fickleness of audience interest when there is so much noise out there in the internet. Thumbs scroll past thousands of articles every minute without thought but when you see heartwarming stories you stop and look.

But how can mundane business find the tears?

If you sell boring products or services find your ’emotional benefit’

Bra companies gave up selling support years ago; they sell love and romance!

The soda companies could never sell drinks about the taste they sell friendship and company!

One company I consulted a few years back sold pens, and here is what I advised them…

We do not sell advertising and sales leads we sell happiness as in when you get the leads, you sell, you make money, you go home and spend money on your family or anything that makes you happy!

So, takeaway is, if you have been consistent over the last decade growing your social media reach, so much so you can call yourself an influencer, and you have an emotional benefit to your products and services, and you have some budget for paid ads then all you need is consistency and you WILL make it!!

If you are a little late to the party and only have a few people on your Facebook account with say 1,000 odd contacts on your LinkedIn, and you have no time for Twitter, (read the blog again!!) then use us, as we can share your business to ALL OUR REACH each week for $35/ month, which will drive hundreds of decision makers back to your business.

I know, it’s crazy right? 

Seriously click here!