Social Media Marketing Success: Take One

In social media marketing and content development, timing is everything. When something happens, it's on twitter and gets around the world within seconds. Your goal is to be breaking or viral -- breaking news or something that spreads like wildfire.... like..... oh....say.....  free donut day at Krispy Kreme.

When I plan my day, I always know it'll change on a dime if I stumble across something breaking (like last year's school shut-down) or something viral (like free donut day).  I have to be able to drop everything and attend to something else. I've learned to be prepared -- carry around pencil, paper, voice recorder ("note to self: pick up bread and milk"), laptop, camera, etc.  Even on my "fun" days (& they are plenty), I'm ready at the drop of a hat.

Like the other day......
 I worked in my office half a day, then wrote for a good two hours at a Starbucks. I then decided to take a couple hours off for lollygagging. While I was driving from point A to point B I received a phone call from a guy I interviewed a year ago or so.

Ron was calling to see if I'd be interested in writing “some intriguing stories, do you still do that?” he asked. “Why yes. Yes indeed I do still write intriguing stories.” I answered, salivating a tiny bit and keeping my eyes on the road.

One thing about Ron is he's a fast talker. And he's full of content. (hence the salivating) So I knew I needed to start taking notes, but I was driving, remember, from point A to point B.  I snapped open my computer on the passenger seat and pulled into the first empty gravel lot I came to.  We sat there, Ron and I, and talked for a good 20 minutes at least. I took notes as quickly as I could possibly type. We set a date to meet with another intriguing person to write this intriguing story. I slapped my computer shut, lifted my head and took a look around me, kind of like coming up for air.

Then I saw it:  Krispy Kreme. Right there in front of me with the “hot and now" light flashing. And I remembered something all over twitter just that morning, something viral, something about somebody giving away free donuts today.

I went thru the Krispy Kreme drive thru and ordered a coffee for my trip home (never made it to point B). And guess what? They gave me a free donut.  And that, my friend, is the sweet success of social media marketing.