7 ways to keep people interested

Rich or poor, there will always be one item everyone needs more: TIME. The inevitable suffocation of email, text messages, voicemails, newspapers, TV have streamlined the methods of communication. For both the everyday consumer and businesses, it is increasingly important to be as concise and relevant as possible in messages to both one another and to target audiences. This concept, of course, is not just relevant to the Social Media guru. It applies to virtually every available avenue of communication delivery.

7 ways to keep people interested in what you have to say:

1. It's not about you. Define your message and stick to it. EXAMPLE: If you wish to be followed on Twitter because you fancy yourself as legitimately knowledgeable in a particular category, 90% of your tweets should be relevant to that concept. A fellow Tweeter may originally chose to follow you because they find the links you post are helpful - not because they want to know your favorite and coffee and "are ready for Friday to be here." Analyzing any social media profile is an easy way to find the narcissists traversing the Earth.

2. Avoid abbreviations. It just makes your message sound amateur. No one wants to take the time to decipher your invented hieroglyphic language of shortened words. Similarly, sEnTeNcEs LiKe tHiS aRe eNdLesSly oBnOxIoUs. If you passed the 8th grade, use proper grammar. If you feel it is absolutely necessary to abbreviate, chances are, there is a more concise way to get your point across.

3. Headlines are king. (particularly in microblogging and texting) Your content may change the course of history, but if the headline is trash, your own mother won't even both reading it. Imagine scrolling down a list of hundreds of headlines all pertaining to the same subject... which link would you care to read? Use that formula for your own headlines.

4. You are not the CNN army of one. Message blasting is ego-tastic. Think of the little boy who cried "wolf". Don't be the little communicator that cried "everything I say is important, because I say so." Screen how much you share. Avoid the self-proclaimed experts, and don't become one. Timely, relevant and succinct messages sell themselves. Throwing up fifty new posts, headlines and press releases an hour will not earn you a big following... much less will it do much for your credibility. Peter Kim makes an excellent point regarding the building and maintaining of relationships through social networks.

5. Your brand is not your alter ego. This ties directly into credibility. If web authority is what you want, don't create a false identity. Be your brand - it's not your turtle shell.

6. Listen, listen, listen, jump in. You must give respect to receive it, but ALWAYS be willing to listen first and speak second. A target audience is a small town and people know immediately if you are new to the area. Don't immediately try to be the life of the party or you will become the new neighbor who wasn't invited to the 4th of July.

7. Expect the expected. Consciously build your brand, or people will do it for you. Contrary to guerrilla marketing, it it can always help to appear where your audience EXPECTS to see you. Call it the gray area of permission marketing.

If you have an insight or thought to share, please feel free to comment or drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com. Find me on Twitter @PaulMatson.