Did you see the leaked photos for the next Superman movie? There’s a cameo with Ben Aff…oh, that’s interesting, I didn’t realize I could get 6 grams of protein from certain whole grains. That’ll make my…crap, my wife would love that vest for her birthday. How much?
That, ladies and gentlemen, is what it’s like to jump inside my mind, as well as that of the average American who pops online the 20 or so average hours per week.
Our attention spans, according to a 2015 study done by Microsoft, are getting shorter. How short? So short, they wouldn’t be allowed on any of the rides at Cedar Point. So short, they’d need a booster seat to be considered short.
Actually, it’s 8 seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000 when the same study was done. Let’s give ourselves an evolutionary pat on the back because guess what? Our attention spans are now shorter than a goldfish’s (they come in at engrossed 9 seconds).
That makes it just a wee bit challenging if you’re in business and all you’ve got is a measly eight seconds to spark someone’s interest in your product or service. Small to mid-level sized businesses are at a further disadvantage either because they lack the bucks that big box businesses have to throw at this and are challenged to do a lot of this work in-house.
Fortunately, we’re going to take a little peak behind the social media curtain to give you three nuggets of wisdom to make your product perkier and service sexier. Interestingly enough, the parallels between online dating and some suave social media are not that different (yes, I just heard your gaggle of groans and moans).
Photos!
Unless you’re on a computer using Windows 97, it’s time to catch up with the rest of the world. We all know that a picture is worth 1000 words (well, some of us do) and if you want more clicks to your product, use them. There’s some meaty research in favor of using pics, too.
In fact, those online love seekers who use photos in their profiles are 9 times more likely to get a response than those who don’t, according to eHarmony! 9 times!
Once you’re in the game, you plop on a continuum of least to most interesting photo content. Don’t be the 600-vacation-pictures-from-Nevada variety. Spruce it up, baby! Make your product sizzle!
Positivity!
This is one of those intrinsic first impression kind of deals. How often do you gravitate toward someone who’s complaining their mouth off about the current state of this or that upon first meeting them? Your chance of departure from that conversation is 100%. Run for the hills!
Your business is no different. Here’s the shocker: Studies have shown that positivity makes a stronger and naturally, better impression than does negativity in business. Show Debbie Downer to the door!
Action!
Say you’re interested in making a killer beef stew. I give you the best recipe known in the entire universe that beats any celebrity chef’s. (Take that Gordon Ramsay!) And I tell you about all of the health benefits and how the food was sourced and give you every little detail about the stew.
If you see an ad pop up about beef stew, are you going to click on it? Probably not because you know all you need to know about it.
The goal of social media is really no different. What’s unique and different about your product and offers value to your customer? Provide that little hook to make peoples’ lives better or offer them something they don’t know and you stand a better chance of a click. A little intrigue in your post goes a long way. Make a beef stew with flecks of gold in it and stock from Zeus’s favorite cow. Now you’ve got something!
