Ebola virus magnified

Okay, the title and picture are total click-bait, but that’s the point. We’re talking about the message aka the MOST important part of any communication, whether it be on social media, in-person, in print, on the radio / TV, etc… It can also be seen as insensitive, but that’s up for you to decide. My goal is to create a reaction (good or bad) to my message.

Your message can, and should spread like a disease, and like a disease your message starts with one (patient 0) person / being. In this case, that person is you.

1) Generate early adopters
2) Get them to spread your message
3) Deliver on your promise(s)

Early adopters

These people are vital to the success of your message. These people will carry your message, and pass it along to as many people as possible. Think about the first person that gets sick in your office. Next thing you know, everyone is hacking.

How do you get these early adopters? Find something you can own (an area, demographic of people, city, whatever – more on that here) and OWN it. Start with 10 people. Say you’re a restaurant owner, and you just opened up shop. Go to an apartment building close to you, a few houses, or just grab people on the street. Just get 10 people.

Get them to spread your message

Encourage them to come to your restaurant by giving them a free meal every month as long as they dine with someone else who is paying or something like that. If these people like your offering, and your food, you better believe they will pass on their message to their friends & family. And we all know word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of marketing.

Some quick math: 10 people with a sphere of influence of 150 (it’s been noted that every human has a solid, influential connection with 150 or so people). Say, they influence 5% of their sphere of influence, so 5 people. Bang! There’s 5 new customers, and now you’ve tapped into these new 5 customers sphere of influence. Bang! You get more customers. This is how your message spreads, and it’s also how disease spreads.

Deliver on your promise(s)

You can’t sell a shitty product. If you’re a business owner, you probably think you’re running the best business around, with the best customer service, and the best product. Reality check – YOU’RE NOT. Everyone claims the aforementioned.

Okay, now that we’re past your ego, you need to deliver on the message you’re about to or already are spreading. Back to the restaurant, if you say you’re the only place in town with authentic deep dish pizza, YOU BETTER BE THE ONLY PLACE WITH AUTHENTIC DEEP DISH PIZZA (and it better be authentic).

If you claim, you have the best customer service (you don’t), PROVE IT. If it’s raining, do you walk your customers to their car with an umbrella over their head (now, that’s customer service)?

Is your picture on the wall of your restaurant, so as soon as your customers walk in they know your name, your face, and your number in case they have any issues? A restaurant owner in the US does this, and you’d be surprised at how many calls he gets giving him, and his establishment POSITIVE reviews. They love him! Whatever your message is…deliver on the promise in your message.

Ebola can / will kill you. It delivers on its promise. Your message needs to do the same if you want to have it spread like a virus. In turn, not delivering on your promise could kill you and your business.

Love you,

Jordan ‘The Guy with the Bow Tie’ Rycroft