Marketing Is About People

How many times have you heard people talk about ‘social’ like it’s a platform?

In this Vlog, Grant explains that Facebook or X (Twitter) are no longer merely social platforms, they are the way we behave.

How many times have you heard people talk about ‘social’ like it’s a platform? For example Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Social is no longer merely a platform. It’s a way that we behave.

Music used to be something we discovered by listening to a DJ on the radio spin a new record or go into a shop and flicked through the vinyls, cassette or CD section. Today, music is streamed and so much music discovery comes from recommendations from the others, your friends playlists – and that’s the way we find the music.

Music School has gone social and in some ways that seems obvious. Music always was social. We went round with friends and listened to records and discussed bands with people, but would anybody have thought that funding a business would be social ten years ago?

Crowdfunding sites allow entrepreneurs to share their business ideas with the wider public. They can be discussed and individuals can then contribute small amounts of money to get that business started.

Getting a job has gone social with people sharing CVs on platforms such as on IinkedIn and going through their networks and contacts in order to get others to see thay they are available.

We live in a world today where your customers and prospects are your best channel to market. The more you can make aspects of your business social, the more they will share it, talk about it and you will build awareness amongst the very people you want to buy from you.

So from what areas of your business could you harness opinions, ask for feedback and get people to share their ideas?

Software companies do it by asking communities to give them feedback on what’s wrong and what’s right on the Beta version of their product. Retailers have embraced it by encouraging people to take pictures of themselves in the different clothes and changing rooms and getting instant feedback from friends as to which dress or item of clothing suits them the best.

Don’t limit yourself to thinking that social is just the platform you interact with on your phone. It’s actually more than that. It’s a way of thinking and behaving.

There may be small changes to the spoken word in this transcript in order to facilitate the readability of the written English