Pump up the volume

 If you have something to say, say it loud.

 

Chuck, a friend of ours and a pretty smart Ad Guy, says that advertising is simple: "Make noise and make friends." He's right.

We'll start with the assumption that you've got something to say about your whatever it is you want to sell and why anybody should want to buy it.

But whatever you've got to say, it won't do you any good unless somebody hears it. It's like speaking softly in a noisy room and expecting people to notice. Won't happen. So be loud. 

"Loud" can mean a lot of things. You can take a creative, compelling approach to your content. You can appear where nobody expects you to appear. You can flood one particular media channel. Or you can flood them all. (This last approach can be kind of expensive. Creativity is a big money-saver.) 

Point is to demand attention.

Think of it as walking into a room where you want people to notice you and all that you have to offer. Are you going to stride in, maybe wearing a bright sweater or waving your arms or smiling and greeting everybody you see? Or are you going to slip in a side door in a beige hoodie and sit quietly on the floor until somebody trips over you?

If you've got something worth saying but aren’t going to go to the trouble to make sure people hear it, well, the whole thing seems sort of pointless, doesn't it? 

Of course, if you're happy where you are, stay where you are. There's nothing really wrong with the status quo if you're good with it.

But if you want to move the needle a bit, make a little noise. 

Maybe make a lot.

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People read what interests them

 

Your social media posts are a variety show.

No disrespect intended, but potential guests or customers probably really don’t care who your Employee of the Month is. Well, they do, just not that much.

And they probably don’t follow you on social media just for a steady stream of special offers.

And chances are, they're a bit tired of seeing the same property shots over and over again.

But that doesn’t stop hotels and other businesses from loading up their social media accounts with that sort of thing anyway.

Don’t misunderstand. In this day and age, with social media and email taking front and center doing the heavy lifting of advertising for many businesses, you absolutely do have to get those offers on Facebook, Instagram and the rest. But we think it’s important to recognize that people don’t follow you strictly for a steady stream of promotions. 

They’ve expressed an interest in you. So be interesting.

Treat your social media account like a publication, with a mix of human interest as well as sales.

This is just our opinion, understand, but we think social media posts can be more effective if they are designed to give your target a feel for your personality. Help them get to know “you.”

Think of your social media like a variety show rather than a penny-saver coupon flyer that comes in the mail. Mix it up. Make it entertaining.

People read what interests them. Sometimes, it happens to be a social media post.

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