How savvy are you about incorporating topical happenings within your marketing mix? Are you abreast of the goings-on that relate to your business? Do you ensure you talk about the happenings of the day and demonstrate your authority and credibility in your area?
I work with a lot of my clients on this as, sometimes, we can get locked in our bubble where we schedule our social media focusing on our offer and skill set but we forget to look above the laptop screen to see what’s going in the world and how commenting on that can really benefit our businesses.
Most things that are going on in the world can be commented on with a slant on your business. For example, Brexit (eek, I said it) – this not only creates ample opportunities to talk about the uncertainty in business, and the logistical nightmare that it could perhaps create, but it also allows comment on the psychological and emotional impact.
For example, comments could entail: how to cope in uncertain times; what to do when you feel anxious; how to you manage your friendships / relationships where you have different politics – I could go on.
What I’m trying to demonstrate here is that there is room for a lot of varied comment on most topics. In fact, I’m currently sat in the sunshine on a restaurant terrace in Kings Cross next to three mid-50s women (three bottles of bubbles in may I add!), offering comment on everything and anything: they’ve covered Meghan Markle – how much she’s holding her bump and how insincere it is, Lady Gaga and how she’s a fake and now it’s currently about Theresa May’s shoes and the horror of it all! This emphasises the difference between negativity and comment – comment is fine, slagging people off isn’t conducive for good business etiquette!
The best brands use topical comment well and are seen to be knowledgeable, authorative and bring additional value to the table on things that are in the public domain. A great way to ensure you do this is sign up to all the latest newsletters from outlets in your sector as well as general news, book some time into your day to check out the news stories of the day, check Twitter daily and see what’s trending and what is getting people talking and try and think outside the box about how you can offer valuable comment.
Being seen as being abreast of the news and goings-on shows your audience (and potential clients) that you are on top and in touch with current affairs and have the confidence to offer valuable comment, which is a great accolade in business and shows that you’re in control which is very attractive to a business prospect.
Topical comment also helps create content – something which a lot of business owners struggle with. Why not set one day a week aside to do this and create your Instagram post around that – it will add credibility and topicality to your social media and if it’s a really interesting topic, why not write a blog about it?
