Sir Trevor McDonald wont be doing my tax return

I came across two businesses last week both of which claim to "do social media" in fact, both claim to be very active.  Both businesses share links to lots of online news stories via Twitter and Facebook; the stories are mainly to do with the industry within which they operate but, occasionally they share items that appear to be completely irrelevant and random. Both share the links without any comments or supporting information.

I have news for both; you are not “doing social media” or, to be more accurate, neither of you has become social nor are your efforts likely to succeed.

For the avoidance of any doubt let me say at the outset; sharing relevant articles and news stories is generally a good practice in fact, we share content almost every day and we encourage our clients to share relevant content with their communities, and occasionally we will share them without comment. The problem with these two businesses is sharing links is the only thing they do.

Have you ever consider contacting Sir Trevor McDonald to do your tax return just because he delivered the news about tax changes in the Chancellor’s Budget?  Why not?  After all, he shared the news with you.  Of course, you wouldn’t because you understand he only delivers the news.  Sharing content online doesn't project you as an expert and, whilst some people may find your links helpful, it is unlikely to yield great results if done in isolation.

I like the practice of sharing relevant articles and news items but, whenever possible, add your comments or, your opinion on the subject – this is what will separate you from the crowd and let your community know a bit more about you.  Better still, write your own piece from scratch based on a relevant event in your industry, invite comments, and opinions from your community, and, encourage conversation about the topic.

If a taxation specialist writes a good blog post immediately after the Budget about the impact of the taxation changes you may consider contacting them about your financial affairs; at the very least you will find it credible and it may prompt you to contact your own accountant.  An informed article written by a taxation specialist highlights their expertise in tax matters. If the article also uses phrases like; “this will affect many of our clients” or, “we advised on a similar situation last month”, this will endorse their experience as well as their expertise.

After you’ve written and published the blog, consider recording it as a podcast or a video and publish it on different platforms to accommodate the fact that people have a choice and a preference about how they receive information – this will make you truly social.

If you have an opinion on how and when to share content or, how sharing is used as part of your overall marketing strategy please use the comment box below to share it with the fatBuzz community.

For now, I’m off to find out if Murray Walker is free to give my daughter some driving lessons!

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