Supercharging social media with storytelling techniques: #3 Tension

Creating tension, the need to read on, to find out what happens next, is a technique that social media posters can use to build engagement with their followers.

I'm not suggesting that each post should have a cliff hanger, but I am encouraging awareness of how storytelling techniques can be used in a corporate or other general social media environment. When you see news posts about what the iPhone 5 or iPad 6 may have when it comes out you are being teased by foreshadowing, a long established technique for building tension in stories.

Most people will not only look out for further posts in the story of what is to come from Apple, they are also more likely to become engaged with the sites that deliver those teasing posts.

Foreshadowing is only one technique for building tension. Dropping opposite types in the same room does it too. So does anticipation of an award or a disaster. So does a looming major change, a surprise announcement, a rescue story or a mystery. There are others too. Think about what engages you when you watch a movie.

You may only use one of these techniques because of your situation, but it is important to be aware that you can build engagement in many ways.

Zuckerberg's Law - 6 ways it could affect you

Mark Zuckerberg stated in 2008 that every two years or so (like Moore's Law for computing power) double the amount of information will be shared on social media as the year before.

While that may seem impossible I'm not the only one to think that something like this will happen. But what will that mean for most businesses?

Here's the reality of how this could affect you in the next few years:

* SEO and old style websites are likely be less and less relevant. Social sharing will drive site visits and the social sites will become the place more time is spent on. Social is already more popular on the web than pornography.

* TV, radio and newspapers will also be less relevant, as people spend more and more time on these social sites.

* Advertisers will take up real estate on your social feeds. And they will get cleverer. Ads will become engagement snares.

* Out bound selling will transition into content creation for inbound prospect attraction sites.

* Organisations of all types will evolve to adopt social media in HR. induction, training, on the job help, staff management, customer servicing, social activities, product development, sales and alumni networks.

* Your social life from finding a partner to creating an event will become a truly social media supported activity.

Not everyone of us or every organisation will be affected in the same way. Some will resist. A digital-less underclass will find themselves cut off from society.

How will you cope? If you need advice on anything in this post email me now: lob@yourasms.com

A Custom Online Marketing Plan for Your Business

Would you benefit from an expert online marketing plan, with a money back guarantee?

My guide to social media was published in 2013. Buyers raved about it and it rose to a top position in the digital marketing charts.

"This seems to be the best or only one of its kind." one reviewer said. You can buy it here.

I also teach a Diploma Course at City Colleges in Dublin, which is available online here. I teach online marketing in other places too.

I advise small and large companies how to improve their online marketing. But instead of you having to pay for a book or a course, why not have an online marketing plan created just for you?

The plan will have seven elements:

1. Objectives. What are your objectives?

2. Who. Who will create the plan & who will carry it out?

3. Resources. What resources do you have available to allocate to the plan?

4. Integration. How will you integrate social media with other support, marketing or communication strategies & tactics in your organisation?

5. Governance. What rules or guidance will you put in place?

6. Content. How will content be generated?

7. Monitoring. How will you monitor and manage the results?

The plan will be created based on a questionnaire and personal telephone/Skype interview. The goal of the plan will be to help your business succeed.

I spent twenty five years in sales before becoming an online marketing consultant. I was a sales director of an international software company and achieved numerous inhouse awards for selling. If you want a plan that will help you succeed email me now: lob@yourasms.com

I provide a 90 day money back guarantee too. If you are not happy with your plan within 90 days you can have your money back in full. I am a registered business in Ireland and I stand behind this guarantee. Your payment will be held in an online account and not be touched until 90 days has passed.

It is critical that you don't let this online marketing opportunity pass. Don't make that mistake.

What will it cost to get get an alternative view on what you could be doing from an expert?

Don't delay. Email now lob@yourasms.com. That's Your Advanced Social Media Services.

One client had this to say about my service: 

"Faced with a bewildering number of choices: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., it can be difficult to put together an effective marketing campaign. Laurence provided the expert guidance and support I needed to make the right choices and just the right level of pressure to keep me focussed."
JJ Toner http://www.jjtoner.net/

Another had this to say:

"Although I'd engaged with Twitter and flirted with Facebook, this has focussed my efforts on the things that are really effective. It's an ongoing process, there's plenty of scope for improvement on my part, but blog visits have risen sharply from a few a day to 50-100. The improvements suggested to my blog and website are being implemented and are increasing sales."DJ Harrison http://djharrison99.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks for your time.

Laurence O'Bryan

Founder

Advanced Social Media Services

5 Dame Lane

Dublin 2

Ireland

www.yourasms.com