The holiday break is a great time to read books, both for work and just plan fun. Earlier this week, I read the recently published “Mindful Social Marketing” by colleague Janet Fouts. If you are doing social media for a nonprofit, this book is a must read. It is filled with great wisdom.
Janet has worked with for-profits and non-profits as a marketing strategist for many years and her expertise is impressive. I know first hand because she doesn’t live too far from me and we have done walking meetings (on the Dish in Palo Alto). Every time I do a walking networking meeting with Janet, I make sure I have brought along a pen and notebook to take notes because I learn so much!
The concept of the book marries the tenets of mindfulness with best practices of social media marketing strategy. This includes paying attention, focusing, being kind, and listening — all key skills for social marketers. She also describes what brands bring mindfulness to their social marketing and how they practice it. The book includes short chapters and highly practical information on the execution of a flawless social strategy. What I love most about this book is the “mindful moment” at the end of each chapter that offers up a zen-like statement about how to approach this particular aspect of social marketing.
Here’s a few that resonated:
- Social Marketing: “Now is the time for you to think about your customers not as a target market, but as humans who want to interact with you and your brand.”
- Employee Advocacy: “People are going to use social networks on their own anyway, so why not take a centered approach and give them the tools and knowledge they need to do it in a way that benefits everyone? We all want to feel valued and useful beyond just doing our job. Invest in your team
and they will return the favor.” - Social Media Strategy: “Setting yourself up for success requires organization, strategy, and a thoughtful and compassionate approach to your market. Put yourself in their shoes instead of looking at things only from your side of the table. Think about what they want, not what you want to give them. This change in perspective can make all the difference in the world.”
- Content: “We are often surprised by how much we and our team know and can share with the world. When we create content with an eye toward our intention for our relationship with the viewer, we are more efficient and effective in reaching our market.”
- Influencer Outreach: “You can have influence on one or several topics by carefully cultivating information and sharing it with people who are interested in that area. Staying focused helps people have a clear picture of who you are and what you represent. They can then start looking to you for thought leadership on that topic.”
It is a short and wonderful read! Thank you Janet! BTW, the video above is of Janet talking about the concept for a pitch to Wisdom 2.0 for a session and you can vote for her.
Catching up on your reading this holiday? What’s on your list?
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