Advocacy and Social Media Etiquette

Today, in order to influence the minds of consumers, business people need to empower advocates.  Advocates are talking about your categories and your brands.  Advocates are sharing their opinions with family and friends as well as using Social Media platforms with an ability to reach millions of people (Facebook has 120 million users).

Tom McMillian

What is said within social media is more powerful than advertising. Consumers are more open to considering the recommendation of someone via Social Media platforms than they are to believe and act on advertising.  To be successful, business people need to understand how to interact and utilize Social Media to their advantage.  And remember, it takes time to harness Social Media to your advantage.

Social media is a power tool for businesses and there is a certain etiquette that will help you become more successful.  This etiquette is summed up in the 3 R’s.

The 3 R’s of Social Media

• Real – Be yourself, tell the truth, and never lie.  If you make a mistake, admit it, apologize and move on.  Use your own name. When an occasion comes up when it may be appropriate to mention your brand or business, you need to have already established your reputation on the site before you mention your brand or business.  Plus, make sure you are always upfront about your relationship with the brand or business.
• Relevant – To be relevant, you must listen and respond appropriately.  Be helpful and provide value to the other members of the group.  This is the way to building credibility. You need to devote the time and provide value to folks by responding to their problems, issues and challenges.  One thing I always say to myself is, “Give them what they want, then give them what they need.”
• Responsive – Listen to what is going on within the Social Media platform.  On a regular basis, thoughtfully contribute to the questions, concerns and issues at hand.  Build your online reputation.  This is not the place for you to have a monologue or to hype the benefits of your brand or business.  After you have established your reputation, and if it is germane to the issues being discussed, it is appropriate for you to share the benefits of your brand or business (make sure you are upfront about your relationship to the brand or business).

Previously published in NJ Entrepreneur

Tom McMillian

• President, Techtao, LLC
• techtao@mac.com
• www.techtao.com

Hearing Aids Brought Harmony to My Marriage

I love investigating & evaluating new technologies and being an early adopter.   The most important question I use when evaluating new technologies is, “Is this Techtao?”  [Techtao = Technological Taoism]  In other words, does this technology help me to live more harmoniously with the world?

For the last few years, I’ve noticed that I’ve been asking folks to repeat themselves more often.  This was especially true when I was in rooms with background noise such as restaurants as well as in rooms where many people were talking at once, business meetings.  Additionally, I found myself turning up the radio in my car to higher volumes as well as the volume of the TV at home.

The volume of the TV began to become an issue with my wife, JoJo-bird.  It got to the point where the volume I needed the TV to be at was a volume that she found uncomfortable.  And when the commercials came on, the volume of the TV was really uncomfortable for her.

The hearing aids that brought harmony to my marriage

Since last September, I’ve been wearing a set of Widex Passion PA-115.  They have exceeded my expectations.  I can hear more clearly at restaurants and business meetings and most importantly, my wife and I enjoy the time we spend together watching TV.

In my internal discussions, I compare wearing hearing aids to wearing glasses.   For the most part, I see fine without my glasses, however, I cannot clearly read signs or small print clearly.  With my glasses, I see signs and small print effortlessly.  It is the same with hearing aids; they help me live more harmoniously with the world.

I do have a nagging concern about what people would think of me if they notice my hearing aids.  I have yet to have anyone comment on them to me.  But, I’ve wondered if they would think less of me.  My answer to myself is with hearing aids, I hear more clearly and I’m not asking folks to repeat themselves all the time.  Plus, I can contribute more readily at meetings and realize my full potential.  For this, I’m more than willing to ‘risk’ folks noticing that I wear hearing aids.