Would You Like Fries With That, Anyway?
“Would You Like Fries With That” is an article written about a year ago and the phrase itself is almost generic now. The post made the point that something the “experts” and the “gurus” would disregard works so well it is almost unbelievable.
In particular, this phrase is rated as failing the key tests for emotive marketing and engagement. Or does it?
What makes for engagement in this electronic age? Are the old traditional phrases, words and styles being superseded by the immediacy of e-media? With faster communications, do we now respond to stimulus which doesn’t need the permanency of older styles of marketing messages?
Look at what happened in Australia, during the last Federal Election, through Twitter.
Quote: Anthillonline.com
BuzzElection released an announcement earlier this week revealing the second most influential tweeter (user of Twitter) in the Australian 2010 Federal Election is Lesley Dewar, beaten only by ABC News. ….. what is most interesting is that Lesley is not a political reporter nor does she have a career background in politics……She said: “I’m a grandmother who writes children’s stories…. I think it’s a hoot!”[i]
Twitter is good for very fast, very short messaging, and using #hashtags allows you to focus on topics by tweeters, responses and retweets. While it was a somewhat amazing result announced by BuzzElection, it was the medium itself which allowed for a sudden (and very temporary) measure of influence.
In addressing the question of blogging vs Facebook, Adam Turner writes effectively about the way the mediums have changed our interactions and responses. In his blog post (SMH) Facebook Generation Changes The Face of Blogging[ii] he notes as follows:
Social networking sites were still finding their feet when blogging rose to prominence. The ability for readers to leave comments made blogs seem like the perfect medium for interacting with people, but these days social networking sites such as Facebook are much better suited to social interaction.
This is a view with which I agree – being active in all four medium: Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and LinkedIn.
Twitter is great. It is very easy to post a link to a blog post and those who read the post will very often will also retweet the link. To get a RT from, say, @chrisbrogan or@mikehaydon really kicks you into the Twitter stratosphere. Using hashtags allows you to find mutual interests without necessarily following those other tweeters on a personal basis and still allows for interaction with them.
Facebook is fun, because you can upload your photos and videos directly onto your page, leave a quick “Like”, a friendly comment on the page of a friend or a fan and create deeper interactions. Links are easily posted to blogs and other articles, to be shared around. Business pages allow for much more open communication on Facebook – given the old “fan” page has morphed into the “business page” – and with good privacy controls, you can enjoy Facebook at a deeper level than Twitter.
Blogging is where the real work is done and the real rewards are found. It is the art of blogging which brings the greatest depth of interaction, even though most readers will NOT leave a comment – unless they are very moved indeed by your message or perhaps using the backlink options to help bring you and your readers to their own blogs, by their comment being linked to yours. If is not spam, I have no problems with that strategy.
If a “Like” on Facebook is designed to open doors by notifying others I have Liked or posted there, anyone who genuinely comments on a blog post in the spirit of its content is both welcome and entitled to the backlink. Every blog post needs to have a “share” option for at least Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other Social Media sites so with a simple click of the Share button, your readers can make the most effective comment of all – sharing your content with their friends through their own networks.
Making a buying decision is traumatic.
Leaving a comment on a blog post is a very strong buying decision. Not all your readers want to promote you – even though they like what you say. So, how do you “upsell” them. How do you offer them “fries with that” at a price they are happy to pay and enjoy the experience? When they share or comment on your blog link elsewhere, they have bought “fries with that”
The top one third of your website is the most valuable real estate you own, online.
It is where you need to display your Blog link, your Facebook page, your Twitter link – so, when they or their friends come to your site, they see your menu.
Are you flaunting your Menu for all to see, with a clear call to action?
Every visitor is a potential customer. How, and how often, do you ask them “Would you like fries with that?” You can get my fries (and more) at http://storiesmynanatells.com
About this blog:
If you share your blog posts on Social Media platforms, the comments on the link from your blog are just as valid as those left on the blog post itself. We are very happy for comments and shares to be done through our Facebook page or by RT on Twitter at @nanastories
If you find good links to share, please do it! If you like our stories, please share us with your family and friends. We would love to hear from you, too. We love comments and we love to share!
(c) Lesley Dewar 2012 to current
Excellent post, Lesley! I’m learning every day:)
Michelle – as we get more comments, we will all learn.
Hi Lesley,
Post calls to action early and often. Once near the top of the page, once in the sidebar and once after each post. Make the calls seamless not obnoxious. People respond if you ask them to do something. Make calls authoritative, so people respond and receive your value packed giveaway. Excellent tips here.
Reduce clutter. Too many calls = no calls taken. Like a menu with 20 different versions of fries. Sounds silly, right? This is what most bloggers do, directing readers to do 20 different things, producing confusion and resulting in no call to action take. Adopt a clear, concise design and direct readers to do 1 thing on your blog, and you can grow your list with greater ease.
Thanks Lesley!
Ryan
Thanks Ryan and I appreciate your comments here and also in LinkedIn. It’s a formidable task – building a website that gets people to respond, without overselling and still giving a positive call to action. I really like your comment about “20 different versions of fries” That makes so much sense.