I once got told off for using this acronym and ever since it's been left at the back of my mind like a naughty school child. But today it comes of age as I explain why you need to have BOOBs to be on social media and more importantly be successful on social media.
Do you have social media Boobs?
Lets start with the basics, what does the acronym actually mean...
B - Be adventurous and explore your niche fully
O - Open your mouth or you will never be heard
O - be Original and individual
B - Beware of your audience
S - Start today!
When I put it like that it's not so rude, but I recall talking to a hall of people who just looked rather upset that I would stoop so low. But just as with them, many of you reading are reading because the acronym stands out and you will never forget you need to have Boobs again.
I should point out, that image above ... it was chosen again to capture attention and as an experiment (results in a few weeks).
Be Adventurous on Social Media
Social media unlike most forms of communication which is direct (and social media is both direct and indirect), has a problem. It's problem is sheer saturation, take my account on twitter @andykinsey I follow around 3500 people / brands right now... there is no way I could ever see them all and if I did I would never get any work done.
From that and other examples you can see that you need to do some thing different, to stand out from the crowd. You need to contribute to the conversation but also be the conversation. For example that picture of the boobs above was chosen to stand out in the crowd, not many SEO blogs would have the balls to play around and potentially annoy their audience - but it grabs attention and that alone can bring traffic to your site and conversation to your social accounts.
Open Your Mouth and Be Heard!
There is no point at all in having social media accounts unless you are going to use them, and use them on a regular basis. No body will follow a twitter account that has been dormant for 6 months, and no on will Like a facebook page which has not seen the light of day in a year. So be active and talk to people.
Be part of the conversation(s) continually, offer your opinion and reasoning - share links that are relevant and ask what others think, connect with others on the platform... the more you connect the more likely people will follow you.
Originality Comes From The Heart
If you can't think of anything unique to say in a conversation, re-tweet others, like their statuses and share them. Let them know you agree...
But for the most part you will no doubt have something to contribute to a conversation, whether its about politics or SEO or craft events or art galleries, seek a conversation in your niche and contribute. The more you contribute the more you will stand out, but you will only stand out if you speak your mind and heart and be original. Don't just copy what others are saying, there is no love lost for the sheep of social media.
Beware of Your Audience
Your audience (of your website), Your audience (on social media) and Your audience (of the public) are all very important. Upsetting one risks upsetting them all, alienate one and the backlash could be huge. So think about what you are going to say before you type it.
For example in calling this posts "using Boobs..." I risk upsetting them all, but I know my website audience and my social audience will understand that the title is just a catching point and it caught their attention. It's a big risk but you can take them, if you are a daredevil.
My advice is think twice before putting anything on social media, think of it as the front page of your local or national newspaper, say something wrong and it will blow up in your face. Beware your audience!
Start Today!
Social media as with many things in life is a game of experience. You cannot begin to understand the challenges until you jump in and try it out. If you are not on social media, you should be. If you are on social media, read the above and think about what you say and do and how it can effect you and your business.
Go on get out there and socialise!
(once again sorry about that photo. Admit it, it caught your attention)
