Bowling for Business: Pushing Past the Papaya

(This column first appeared on RIMOFTHEWORLD.net on January 17, 2011.

I couldn’t have been better prepared for our stint on Supermarket Sweep than I was on the morning the cable game show taped in 1991. My teammate, Donna, and I had brushed up on trivia and even memorized the layout of the studio grocery store so we would be able to quickly fill our carts with high-ticket items so we would make it to the all important Big Sweep. Then, inexplicably, when the cameras started to roll, I choked. Like a deer in headlights, in the first round, I stared blankly at the host and then proceeded to do everything in my power to embarrass my unborn children.

Question: What fruit has a green rind, red flesh and black seeds?

I was the first to buzz in with my incorrect answer: Papaya.

Question: Which melon features orange flesh and tan seeds?

My Answer: Papaya.

Question: In what month do most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?

My Answer: Papaya.

To this day, I have no idea why I had papaya on the brain. I don’t even really care for papaya. I also have no idea how, despite my mistakes, Donna and I emerged victorious, taking home a grand total $1,103 for our efforts. But I appreciate the relevance of making sure Mountain Marketing Group clients push past this type of brain freeze when it comes to advertising.

For many, the ability to seize the potential of using social media for lead generation is stifled by one thing and one thing alone: an outdated mindset. Somehow, most of us still think that advertising is advertising and social media is something else. But, in truth, advertising and social media are the same thing. They are both content.

The moment we realize that all marketing equals content, we will finally be able to break through the brain freeze and find new ways to fuel powerful brand interactions so they will lead to sales transactions and charitable donations. And we can do this regardless of budget.

For Free—

The first step to creating valuable content is to understand the shared interests and motivations of your target market. Once you recognize what they need, you can start crafting content to fill those needs. And that content can be created for free. For instance, if your product is hairspray, the most obvious shared trait of your target market is that most people who use it have hair. And while your endgame is to get them to buy your product, first, you must provide them with interesting information.

Content for people with hair might include Facebook posts about healthy hair care tips or hair styling trends. Once you have proven yourself knowledgeable and helpful regarding everything hair, your client base will learn to associate your brand with their haircare-related needs. Just don’t make the mistake of using your voice to hard-sell from the start. In an age where people actively search for content instead of passively listening to whatever you have to say, share-of-voice has to be earned.

On a Limited Budget—

Develop an email newsletter. You can either create the publication in-house using a free or low-cost service such as Constant Contact, RatePoint or MailChimp, or hire a professional to produce content-rich information to distribute on a regular basis. But beware of the most common pitfall to this practice—believing you will have time to do this chore yourself, in addition to running your business or nonprofit organization. The road to social media success is paved with good intentions.

Another budget-friendly, content-heavy idea is to blog. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of writing 300-500 word articles and then pointing to the posts via social media websites. If your tweets and status updates are content-rich and optimized, you will be well on your way to establishing yourself as a trusted leader in your field. And trust is the foundation for establishing lifetime relationships with customers, donors and friends.

The Sky’s the Limit—

Don’t forget about the real world. As reliant on technology as we have become, most people still prefer the warmth of a handshake to the cool touch of a keyboard.

In fact, according to MSNBC New.com, “People prefer colonoscopies to computer upkeep.” So don’t relegate all of your marketing efforts to the Internet.

Here are some real world ideas:

1. Sponsor a workshop, conference or industry event.
2. Accept invitations to speak in public about your area of expertise.
3. Produce an informational brochure. But resist the urge to use the piece to promote your product. Instead, simply provide content along with your logo, slogan and contact information.
4. Papaya.

Until next time, I’ll be Bowling for Business.