Grassroots, Local Marketing: The Original “Social Media.”
Sometimes being interviewed triggers my memory of tried and true marketing to women truths worth another mention. This time, that occurred in a discussion with a FuelNet writer who was asking me about moms, especially. (And, to be clear – in my mind that conversation was about women first, who then happen to also be “moms.”)
What came up as we talked was the fact that local scale, smaller businesses may well have an offline advantage in reaching women. The things I mentioned to the writer began to sound suspiciously like the “social media” form we are all so hot on today.
Three of ways offline/local reminds me of online/”social”:
- Short, in passing, nuggets of information. No one REALLY says more than a few sentences to the people whose paths they cross on a daily basis anyway. So, people often share quick bits of what’s important in their life right then. Thus, everyone gets a feel and gets to know each other in little ways, over the course of time. (Sounds like Twitter.)
- Conversation of a few can influence many. As Malcolm Gladwell long-since explored for us in The Tipping Point, there really are a relative few very influential (i.e. respected and talkative) people in our respective midsts. But, hit those folks at the right time with really relevant information, and watch the word spread. (Again. Twitter, anyone?)
- Brand-planted seeds cause consumer conversations to grow around them. While a brand or small business can’t force the issue, a bit of goodwill via local cause sponsorship (with a long term commitment) does get noticed and filed away for future consumer reference. If the fictitious Bob’s Garden Spot sponsored the garden-to-table program at the local grade school, for instance, women who are moms would very likely absorb that fact and give “Bob” a visit in the not-too distant future. (On Twitter, that’d be like giving away lots of goodwill in great links over time, with no hard sell, and watching as more and more people signed up to follow you.)
I love the paradigm of looking in the opposite direction from what you are so focused on right now to see the similarities. Today, so many of us are enthralled with, and distracted by, the bright, shiny object: social media. How interesting to note that what happens online can seem so akin to those successful mom & pop business marketing methods of yore.
Call it plain, old excellent marketing (which takes an investment and a long term commitment).
