“Can we just push this out on social?”
A request heard only too often.
No more, please! It’s time for this phrase – and the mindset it represents – to die.
After all, what else do we push out in life?
Actually, let’s not think about that too much…
The phrase inherently diminishes. It implies that what you’re “pushing out” (yuck) is a load of old rubbish.
And if it’s a load of old rubbish, why are we bothering? And what does it say about our attitude to our audience if we expect them to consume it?
Social: the canary in the marketing coal mine
It’s not just a problem for those of us on the sharp end of digital execution either.
All too often a request to push something out on social is a symptom of a wider marketing malaise.
Maybe, secretly, you know the content is weak – but unlike other channels, surely it can’t hurt to put some lipstick on this particular pig & post a few tweets?
Or there’s pressure on from internal stakeholders, and sharing a few LinkedIn updates showing some kind of activity will keep them at bay.
Or content’s been developed by whim rather than according to a clear, customer-centric, plan – and a bit of social media is bound to drive something, right?
If you’re talking in terms of pushing out, then maybe you need to take a long hard look at every element of your marketing plan.
So if we’re not pushing out, what are we doing?
Done right, effective social media is the polar opposite of pushing out.
Instead, it draws in the target audience. How?
It gets their attention, through great creative execution.
It’s relevant and authentic to their needs and interests.
It ladders back to longer form content that adds value.
But none of this is possible without a strong underlying marketing strategy that gets the basics right.
Are we targeting the right audience?
Do we understand them?
How can we speak their language?
Do we have the right value proposition for them?
So concentrate on marketing 101 – and then maybe you won’t need to push anything out.
Jims Notes 