In February this year, New York-based DJ Thomas Rodriguez was given terrible news. His dog, a fifteen year-old mixed breed named Poh, was diagnosed with a terminal condition. Rodriquez, who'd adopted Poh from an animal shelter in 1999, decided to take Poh on a seven-week trip across America, to allow Poh to see as much as he could of the world before his time came to an end. Rodriguez documented the trip on Instagram, gaining 20,000 followers along the way, and through 354 posts, Poh's adventure was shared with the world. They've since been interviewed on various major TV networks and featured in The Huffington Post and The Daily Mail, among many others.
Poh's story delivers a resonant message about the connection between people and their pets, but also, it underlines the power of social media as a storytelling medium, and the capacity of social media to connect people through stories.
The Power of Story
Storytelling is the oldest and most resonant form of communication there is. Stories are part of who we are, and awareness of story and its relevance in how we communicate is crucial to understanding the connectivity of social media. We often get caught up in the metrics of it all, the data, in trying to find a prescriptive process on how to succeed in social. But social media is inherently more complex than that, because it's actual people in charge of the avatars and profiles you're trying to reach. It's not binary code you're trying to crack or calculations you need to solve, it's people you need to reach and engage with, and that process is something that can't be narrowed down to a specific formula.
In this sense, it's far more important to consider what resonates on a social level, what makes people tick. This is why data analysis alone is not enough - it's one thing to have all the data, but it's how you glean insights from that data that's relevant. And further than that, it's how you translate those insights into stories, relatable, human stories, stories that come from shared experiences. Those are the ones that stick with you. Those are the ones that make us stop and think.
The Compulsion of Content
Poh's story is a beautiful illustration of what's great about social media, and what the medium was originally designed for - to connect the world and bring us all closer together. Everyone relates to this story because it's real, Poh's story has a heartbeat, it's something you feel in between the words. This is where most content falls flat - without a passion behind what you're writing, a tangible heartbeat between the words and sentences, content can go stale quickly. If your intention is just to sell more stuff, people will get that impression. If you're motivation is to write whatever you need in order to get more people over to your blog, that'll come across. But if you find the human heart of your stories, the real, authentic elements that form the 'why' behind what you do, that's when your words will rise above the rest, will speak louder than just the letters and characters themselves.
Everyone has a story, every business has a narrative. The better you can communicate what it is you're authentically about, the ways in which you help and contribute to the community around you, the closer you'll be to your audience, and the more you'll be able to create real connections within social networks.
A Journey Shared
The story of Poh the dog is a reminder that social networks were not designed as sales devices. Social networks were designed for people, to enable people to share their stories, and it's through that sharing of such a vast range of unique perspectives that we're able to improve the world through greater understanding. It's important, as marketers and social media professionals, that we don't lose sight of this, that we don't forget the true purpose and strengths of social media. It was not designed as a platform for you to pitch your wares, it was designed as a platform for people to connect. That's where brands can really win on social, when they use the platform to connect. Listening to your audience, understanding their experiences, sharing their stories - this is how you gain an understanding of the wants and needs of your communities. This is how you build an understanding of the content they want to see, the stories they want to tell, and be told. Connecting with people is how you truly win at social, understanding that the medium is different from broadcast platforms that have come before it.
Poh's story is one which connects with a wide audience because of its heart. Understanding the importance of that element, of connecting with people in a real way, is the key to best utilising the true power of social media. Not only can we use it to build business, but we can use to build business in a more human, more connected and more mutually beneficial way.
Main image via Instagram