On the surface, high-energy, outspoken Donald Trump would appear to have very little in common with President Barack (No Drama) Obama. Except when it comes to online marketing and social media.
Say what you will about Donald Trump, but he understands social media better than all the other presidential candidates combined. Marketing in a cluttered, online world requires timely content that captures people's imagination and breaks through the non-stop noise.
That was the message online marketing guru David Meerman Scott had for advisors attending the annual FPA BE conference in Boston on September 27.
If Trump gets online marketing, Obama may be the best social media marketer in history. "He came from nowhere but was the most engaged in social [media],” Scott said. “He named Joe Biden vice president on Twitter."
Today it is routine for politicians to make announcements and companies to launch new products on Twitter or via other forms of social media.
When Gawker released Donald Trump's cell phone number via social media, Trump didn't react the way Sen. Lindsay Graham after Trump mocked the South Carolinian. Instead, he turned his voice mail message into a welcome to voters to join the Trump campaign. "He aligns buying with selling," Scott said. "It's about sharing more than selling. Trump operates in real time and you should, too."
Companies often try to think in––and market to––the future, yet few businesses operate in the future. "To be successful you have to be quick," Scott said.
Businesses have a phobia about social media that often holds them back. Advisors, in particular, fear regulatory problems, but lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers and others use it effectively.
"Never use the phrase social media in front of the bosses," Scott said. "Call it real-time connections."
For decades, selling via most media vehicles from TV ads to cold-calling was all about interruptions. "This is about being there at the right time when [potential clients] are looking for you," Scott explained.