How do you fix Dumb? Start Talking TO your Audience Instead of AT them.

QUICK!!!!   What's the last commercial you watched? ..............


Ok, how about this, what's your favorite commercial on TV right now? .............  Still Nothing?


Do you remember any commercials?

That's ok me neither.  How much do those commercials cost that we don't remember?  Well if we're talking Super Bowl we're looking at millions of $$$$$$ and if we're not talking Super Bowl we're still talking millions of $$$ (note there are a couple less $).  That's a ton of cash being dumped into advertising that no one seems to remember.

Why do companies do it then?  Simple....... They're DUMB.
So why do most companies continue to do it?  Because....... They're DUMB.  (there seems to be a trend here)

So how do we start fixing DUMB?  It's quite simple actually, we start talking TO our target (People) instead of AT them.  Need proof?

How many of you remember the last viral video you watched? (all hands should be going up right now)

Why do we remember viral videos and not commercials?  (Hint, they're not talking AT you)
They're talking TO you.  You actually have to click on the video to watch it and that means that what ever the video is about is gaining your interest, enough that you CHOOSE to watch it.  Their message talks TO you.

There are many ways to talk TO our target (People), you won't believe it but they're all forms of social media. SURPRISE!!!!


1) Post a viral video - Easier said than done, right?  Remember viral videos don't necessarily mean millions of views (it helps), but you have to remember who your speaking to (this might help).  Every one on the internet doesn't have to see it, if you have  50,000 out of the 75,000 your targeting that's VIRAL!!!

2) Engage in social network and user generated content sites - This is where the Google+'s, Facebook's, Twitter's, and LinkedIn's come into play.  This is where direct contact is established and where personalities are "expressed" (remember my first).

3) Join the Blogoshpere - This helps spread your message while maintaining control of it.  This also engages conversation and feedback from your target.  A Google+ acquaintance +Peter G McDermott, is about to start this undertaking (he's starting a new project with blogging, not joining, but the principle remains).

4) Create a community - Communities are one of the strongest ways to communicate with your audience (remember communication goes back and forth).  They give you a chance to listen to your target and talk TO them not AT them.


Watch this and think about who the target is.

Yup it's a trick.  This Viral Video can target whomever you're intending to send it to.

If +Pepsi is sending it out to their target, people will get a laugh and think how cool Pepsi is but.......

If +Chevrolet is sending it out to their target, they won't even notice pepsi and they'll be drooling over the Camaro but........

If +NASCAR is sending it out to their target, they will be astonished at +Jeff Gordon's hilarious prank.

The same message can speak to different audiences depending on who their trying to speak TO INSTEAD of AT.


ANY comments, followers or shares are ALWAYS welcomed.