Marketing without Selling

When was the last time you clicked the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn icon to purchase a new product or service? Probably never. And you are the majority.

Social media networks are not intended to be used for marketing. These networks are used to connect, share and entertain. People log on to check out. Check out of where they are. Or check out what’s going on.

People connect with family and friends on social networks. These networks allow relationships to be united in spite of the distance between two people. Social media tears down boundaries and even allows people to communicate who may have never even met.

The second reason people log on is to share. Sharing with others and receiving feedback validates our actions and emotions. The engagement from others triggers dopamine to be released. Many posts are easily reacted to with a “like” or “double tap”. Due to the ease of reacting, we receive increased engagement causing us to log on and share more often.

Finally, we log on to be entertained. Memes, videos, jokes and stories fill our feeds and provide us with the greatest variety show on earth. Social media can take us down a rabbit hole filled with hours of endless entertainment.

But, marketing does have its place on social media as well. You just have to keep the reason people log on in mind. Social media is the place to really connect with your potential clients. Social media posts don’t necessarily have to sell something. You can share the values of your company through posts. You can throw a little entertainment in too. Along with connecting, sharing and entertaining, you can educate and inform with your posts too. This type of marketing allows customers to build a relationship with you. They trust your expertise through this process. You don’t have to sell all of the time. Let the relationship build organically. So when a customer does need your service, they consider your company first.

Southwest Airlines does a great job of including these aspects in their marketing. They often post sites to see when you visit various cities (that they fly to). They’ve posted educational resources to keep customers informed about COVID-19 in an effort to keep them flying. They even entertain with funny tweets. Check out this tweet from Southwest Airlines:

For all intensive purposes, we just want to say thanks to all of are loyal Customer’s. Irregardless of you’re reason for travel, their is no one we’d rather share the skies with then you ! #NationalGrammarDay

Don’t just market…connect, share (inform) and entertain to develop greater relationships with your customers.