This week I had the distinct pleasure to fly to New York City and present a social media proposal to the New York Stock Exchange. Besides the thrill of going to the Exchange in the City That Never Sleeps, I am over the moon about the progress this opportunity demonstrates around the cultural shift that is happening in Social.
The NYSE has this super cool community at NYSEConnect.com for the senior executives of the New York Stock Exchange companies.
Anyone can log on, but to get access to the VIP material, you have to be a registered executive member of a NYSE company. They are looking to promote the network, encourage community and connection within their target demographic, and keep their brand in the forefront of these very important executives’ minds.
The Challenge
So, let’s think a minute here – this is actually an interesting enigma. If you look at the data, the demographic we’d be reaching out to is less online than others. They tend to be skewed older, generally speaking, and are very very busy. They respond well to affiliation (if their friends are recommending it, they’ll do it too) and don’t have time or the desire to be pitched or in any way deal with friction. Many of them are in heavily regulated industries and as public companies must be ever vigilant about what they say in public that could be material to stockholders.
The good news is that over 90% of C-suite executives use a smartphone and, even though they may not be heavily active on social, they do use the internet heavily for research. Even on social media, the numbers are growing rapidly and the trend is continuing upward. They are there – you just have to know where to find them.
Planning the Outreach
Although many of you may not know it, I have been a marketer long before “social media” was around. Heck, I was doing SEO work before Google (I know...I”m kind of old...and yes, for you smart acres out there, there was an internet before Google). I was an adopter before there was much to adopt, so I understand the importance of bridging the online and offline methodologies. I am a definite fan girl of integrated marketing.
In working through this particular enigma for myself, I formulated 3 straightforward steps that you can use to build a social media community for the target audiences you might have to reach that are non-digital natives. It’s easier than you think – you just have to step out of your virtual world mentality just a bit and listen for the outside of the bubble conversation.
Step #1 – Get to Know Your Audience Offline
I am a huge fan of Dr. Thomas Stanley’s work, author of The Millionaire Next Door. He talks a lot about the attributes of the affluent. He has done extensive research into what cars millionaires drive, whether they are still married to their wives after 20 years, how they pick a restaurant, what newspapers they read, and more. Everything you might want to know about the affluent, Dr. Stanley has researched it.
This is the level of research you’ll need to do too. Use observation, surveys, 3rd party research, and even anecdotal stories. If you’re really smart, you’ll go put yourself into the offline physical environments of your audience and see how it feels, see what goes on there, see what people are wearing, and see how they interact. Don’t forget to include the influencers of your target too. If affiliation is a big trigger for your prospects, knowing who else is part of their world (and will ultimately influence them in ways you never can) helps a ton. Know all about those influencers too because all of this informs you about how you’ll eventually be able to reach your target group.
Step #2 – Get to Know Your Audience Online
My favorite sources of online research include Forrester Research, Pew Research, Nielsen, Dachis Collaboratory, and frankly, plain old keyword research on Google.
Stay open minded about your research. Be willing to be surprised. If you find that you’re not finding what you expected, understand you might be using a more modern terminology than your older demographic. Follow the breadcrumbs you find as far down the rabbit hole as you can. Don’t forget to include personal things too – a well placed content piece in a golf magazine might very well be what’s needed to get the eyeballs you’re looking for. Don’t insist that your prospects be where you prefer but rather find out where they already are. If you wish they were all on Twitter but you find they’re only on LinkedIn, deal with it. It’s easier to play where there is already action than to try to convince otherwise busy people to change where they play. Leverage what’s already happening to your advantage.
Step #3 – Bridge the Gap
Use a variety of coordinated mediums for outreach. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Send a hard copy invitation with a direct call to action that drives traffic to a landing page that continues the conversation. Have a luxe cocktail party and give a branded flash drive key chain with your video site tour on it (and still plenty of room for their own files too).
Mail a hard copy of your newsletter to the clients that don’t do email and include a DVD of some videos from your YouTube channel. Pick up the phone and talk to them! I know that one’s a shocker but it works. It will distinguish you from other businesses and will help you put the social in your social media Vary your use of email auto-responders and hard copy post cards to send messaging. Coordinate the themes and conversation thread to be clear, compelling, and moving toward the same message.
Offer opportunities for training – introduce them to the world of social media by giving them practical, easily applicable ways to integrate the tools into their business. Make is a fun game and you’ll get far.
Social Media for the Rest of the World
Until business is more saturated with social media, there are untold numbers of opportunities available for the flexible minded marketer to grab business with otherwise offline individuals. With over 80% of businesses still not on Twitter, there’s lots of money being left on the table, waiting for the taking. Your prospects know they will likely need to get on social but they aren’t there yet. It’s our jobs to bridge the gap and be the ones who show them the way. And, if you’re the one who gets to those businesses first, you’ll be the one who gets the credit for leading them into this new exciting space.
Final side note – if I still haven’t convinced you it’s worth it, feel free to sit back, relax, and dream about the day when everything is online and easy. I”ll be out there hustling to bring into reality the world of social media today for the non-digital natives who need it.
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