Why Oprah Can Sell Anything and 5 Things You Can Learn From Her for Successful Social Media

Oprah’s network, OWN, launched yesterday (1-1-11) with high expectations. After all, anything Oprah touches turns to gold. Best selling books are made when she mentions them. Makeup and shoes fly off shelves if she shows them in her “Favorite things.” I think people would buy vats of lard if Oprah said eating it would be good for us. She can sell anything.

Oprah Winfrey, OWN, Oprah's network, Social Media for business, social marketing, Gina Schreck

Oprah- The Queen of Social

How does she do it, and more importantly, what can we learn from her and apply to our social marketing strategy?

Oprah is a CONVERSATIONALIST. The Oprah show is all about conversations with her guests and the audience. Are you having conversations on your social sites or are you just throwing out cold facts and pieces of your content hoping people will buy more from you? Invite people to sit on your virtual couch for conversations about THEM. Even though her show is named after her and every issue of her magazine features a picture of ….her, she does make her shows all about her guests.
Oprah LISTENS. There are many shows out today that are almost humorous, because of the way the host asks questions and then, without listening, either throws out another question or worse, interrupts the guest with a counter-point. In the social media arena, listening and responding to what is being said, is more important than flapping your lips all the time, assuming everyone will find your every word fascinating (although I’m sure you are!). If you are not interested in listening to those in your community, why should they be interested in what you have to say?
Oprah is LIKABLE. This one is a little harder to put your finger on, except to say when you listen and show interest in others, they will like you more. Being likable in social media circles first starts with being in the right circles. Obviously not everyone LIKES Oprah (I’m sure there are one or two out there), but those who are her target demographic (99.7% of the world) find her very likable. Find “your peeps” and then be yourself (unless you are a jerk…then perhaps be someone else until you learn how to be likable). Being likable has to do with being comfortable being yourself, all while you are making others feel important. Mary Kay Ash (of Mary Kay Cosmetics) once said that she pictures a sign above everyone’s head as she talks to them that reads, “Make me feel important.” This is a great philosophy to live by.
Oprah doesn’t SELL. I know this one is hard for any marketer to swallow, but if people know you and like you they will more likely buy from you without you really having to sell. After all, people hate to be SOLD, but they LOVE TO BUY! Does Oprah get kick-backs or free “stuff” for pimping them on her show? Most likely. But all she has to do is talk about the product or service and the world rushes out to try it. In social media, if you are providing interesting conversation, helpful tips and loads of value, when you do mention your product or service, people will rush out to try it. Well, they are more likely to rush out and try it. And the good news is, if they like it, they come back to the community and tell others…more sales without selling!
Oprah is VULNERABLE. Let’s admit it, anyone who can work in the public and have photos of themselves bulging out of bathing suits, showing up in the grocery store without make up, and having horrors of your childhood atrocities discussed in detail, is VULNERABLE! Now I am not saying you have to allow this type of publicness, but if you only allow people to see the perfect side of you, they cannot relate. When you try to appear perfect, people want to see you fail–I know, we are a sick people! Share your struggles and how you overcome them. Share your failures and what you are doing to improve. Oprah’s weight has been a public joke for years, and yet “her peeps” identify with her struggle and they love her more for sharing it! There are many people who enter the social media scene but want to keep every aspect of their life private. They might do better by finding a career path that does not require social interaction.

So whether your goal for 2011 includes building your business by 20% using social media or building an Oprah-sized empire, these tips will get you on your way. I’d love to hear what other qualities you feel make Oprah and her empire so successful…especially if we can all use the tips to be more successful this year! Happy New Year and as always if we can help you connect to your community (or help you not be a jerk) just hollar!

Gina and her team at SynapseConnecting help organizations use today’s technology tools to build their business and manage their brand. Follow Gina on Twitter, connect on Facebook, or jump into our GEEKY community on our Facebook Page.

Gina Schreck

Gina Schreck
President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di

@GinaSchreck

January 2, 2011 | Filed Under Brand Management, Facebook, Facebook PAGES, Gettin Geeky, Marketing, Social Media | 6 Comments

Tech Trends for 2010: What Had Us All Talkin’?

In the world of social media and technology this year, there were many tools that stood out, or commanded lots of our attention, but we took on the top 5 that we felt really impacted business or had many of us trying to figure out how to be more strategic and effective with them.

Donna Gilliland, of MOST Training, and I managed to keep our chat under an hour. (Hard to do if you know either one of us) We broke it down into 5 segments with each under 10 minutes.

TREND 1: MOBILE FOR BUSINESS

Sometimes referred to as the THIRD SCREEN, our mobile phones, and now tablets and other mobile devices, have made it easier than ever to work from ANYWHERE.

TREND 2: FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

Facebook made headlines, it seems like, every day! From ever-changing privacy settings, to the movie, The Social Network, Facebook became more than simply a virtual high-school reunion. From the annoying Farmville gamers to every news station and retail store telling us to connect with them on Facebook. We end the year with a move that just may be the end of email as we know it.

TREND 3: CLOUD COMPUTING FOR SMALL BIZ

While most people still do not know what this term actually means, cloud computing and the apps that many of us use without realizing they are cloud based, have begun to change the way we do business. From storing our photos and slideshows, to sharing and collaborating on documents in the cloud, these tools are saving us time, money and lots of frustration.

TREND 4: VIDEO FOR BUSINESS

The pocket video camera and the 5-year-anniversary of the launch of YouTube have changed the way we search for and share information. We no longer need expensive video production crews to create and share content. This trend is great for business!

Trend 5: iPADS, READERS and TABLETS

2010 was truly the year of the iPad, but overall, the readers & tablets have changed the way, and the frequency in which we consume content. Business is being done on the go and consumers want content they can take with them with ease. We will continue to see these “Magical” devices appear in our work environments for years to come!

What do you think were the top tech trends of 2010? What did we leave out or put in that you don’t agree with? Share your thoughts and predictions with us! Did you notice that the word “Twitter” was not mentioned? It’s still going strong and growing faster than ever, but nothing of great note happened in Twitter Town in 2010 (In my not-so-humble-opinion!).

Gina Schreck

Gina is a Social Media and Technology FREAK! Her and the team at SynapseConnecting can help you make sense of today’s technology and use it to build your business and manage your brand! Give us a hollar if we can help- 877-978-0887 or of course on Twitter @GinaSchreck

Gina Schreck
President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di

@GinaSchreck

December 14, 2010 | Filed Under Facebook, Gettin Geeky, Gettin Geeky Video, iPad, Mobile Technology, Social Media, Technology, YouTube | 2 Comments

LEFT BEHIND: The Painful Price of Not Keeping Up With Technology

My 75-year-old in-laws came to visit for Thanksgiving and by the end of the weekend, I was feeling, both guilty for not helping them immigrate into the foreign land of technology earlier, and inspired to learn even more about technology trends and new tech tools as I…. get older.

Technology Social Media Expert, Gina Schreck, Technology Trends

Seniors and Technology

My mother-in-law was complaining about the fact her bank was starting to charge her $8 a month for not using their online banking features. Online banking was both scary for her to consider doing and sad for her to think of not being able to go in and visit Kim and Diane, her favorite tellers. She doesn’t like talking to the tellers through the drive through window and would never consider trusting the ATM to deposit checks or withdraw money. How would she be sure it posted to her account correctly? Who would answer her questions she might have on her statement?

She said the other day the clerk at the department store where she regularly shops, asked her if she downloaded the coupon that was offered on their Facebook Page. I can just imagine the blank stare my mother-in-law gave that 16-year-old, who probably could not fathom anyone NOT being on Facebook. My father-in-law chimed in with his disdain for the word “apps.” ”I’m tired of hearing about this app and that app. Everyone acts like we understand what that means!”

Imagine waking up one morning in a foreign country. You do not speak the language and cannot read the signs posted around town. You have currency that no one accepts and you own tools that don’t seem to work any longer. This is the feeling many seniors have today. They are digital immigrants. They may have immigrated voluntarily or perhaps they were sent over kicking and screaming, but they are foreigners in a foreign land. Although a Nielson study showed that those 65 years and older pick Facebook as one of their top internet destinations, I believe it is because they are trying desperately to access their family that left them in this foreign land so they can slap them!

With one boomer turning 65 every 8 seconds starting this January 2011, there are some things we can do to ensure we are not leaving anyone behind feeling isolated and lost. As a business owner, I also want to make sure I am not throwing around lingo and techno-jargon that makes digital-immigrants more confused and isolated.

Here are 4 steps we can all take to help others and stay relevant ourselves so we are not LEFT BEHIND:

1. Commit to learning one new technology tool this month. Whether it is sending text messages to your family or taking a class (even via YouTube) on a new video editing software or starting your own blog.

2. Commit to teaching someone one new technology tool this month. Show your parents how to download a photo from an email or better yet how to sign onto FLICKR and browse your family albums. Download a sudoku or crossword puzzle app on their phone or iPad (you might not want to call it an app!)

3. Browse through the TECHNOLOGY category in the iTunes library or on YouTube to find a podcast you enjoy that discusses technology trends, and subscribe to it. Commit to listening to one podcast per week to stay up on the latest lingo and tech terms…like APP or CLOUD COMPUTING! (Some of my favorites are from the TWIT Network-This Week In Technology- just search for TWIT in iTunes Podcasts)

4. Find and subscribe to one technology blog. Go to Technorati and browse a category that interests you and then send that particular blog to your eReader or receive it as an email (if you wouldn’t get overwhelmed by one more email). I like getting them sent to my Google Reader which ends up being a customized newspaper for me. If you own an iPad, download the free and OH-SO-AMAZING app, FLIPBOARD and “flip” through the pages of your favorite blog posts and magazine sources each day.

Share some of your tips to stay relevant and keep that GREY MATTER from getting too GRAY!

If you are working with seniors or want more resources, info, and products with senior-friendly features, check out this great site: ElderGadget

If your organization needs help bringing folks across that digital divide, give me a hollar, I am your Digital Immigration Officer! @GinaSchreck

Gina Schreck

Gina Schreck
President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di

@GinaSchreck

November 30, 2010 | Filed Under Education, Facebook, Future, Gettin Geeky, iPad, Technology | 4 Comments

Gettin Geeky Episode #55 Using TweetDeck

Gettin Geeky Episode #55 Using TweetDeck Use this great tool to manage the STREAM of information that comes from Twitter. Grab a paddle and learn something!