4 Things Your Writing Should Have in Common With #Toiletpapergate
You’ve likely heard about the trending twitter hashtags about toilet paper this past week. As the unknown effects of Covid-19 create a panic, people are rushing to prepare for the illness to hit their areas — but with little knowledge of what they should really be doing. This absence of information means that we’re all doing what our neighbor does. So when they started to stockpile toilet paper, we all followed suit and did the same.
It’s human nature. We don’t want to miss out.
If we hear that everyone else is buying toilet paper, our brains convince us this must be the right thing to do. Then we find out that toilet paper is running low, and we join the masses, which compounds the hysteria surrounding such a mundane item.
This aspect of human nature, the need to feel included, the desire to not be left out, and the drive to make it to the front of the line drives sales and marketing campaigns. And the use of social media means that the pace of these targeted strategies is swift and dynamic.
When I was younger I ran booths at craft shows. In my earliest days, I would set up with an army of helpers and then shoo them away once the show opened so that customers could see the elaborate set up we had erected. I was worried that my booth being crowded with my own people would drive customers away. No one likes to stand around, elbow to elbow, competing for goods and services, right?
Actually, they do.
I accidentally discovered this when I had a large group of friends and family bring me lunch. I couldn’t leave my booth unattended, so we all crammed inside my booth and ate. As we ate and chatted, they toured my booth and I told them about the products. Up until then, I had no sales and almost no one even entered my booth. As I showed my friends and family the products, I noticed a steady stream of customers wander in and follow us around. Soon my booth was crowded. I began making sales and as long as the crowd stayed, the more people it attracted.
What was at work behind this sales tactic? FOMO. Fear Of Missing Out. An empty space tells consumers that something is not worth stopping for. However, a crowded space creates a sense of urgency around it. People wonder what has drawn everyone else to that area. It also gives them the security of not sticking out by being the only one interested in something that their peers have deemed not valuable.
How can you apply these same tactics to your writing? Here are four basic principals we can extract and use as writers to increase traffic to our websites, social media, and writing pieces.
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Write About Controversial Topics You Care About — It Will Draw People In
It’s scary to write about causes and topics that provoke strong emotions. It takes a boldness and a vulnerability to state (in clear words) exactly where you stand on an issue.
The first time I submitted an article to a public forum my hands were shaking. It felt like a spotlight was on me heralding my innermost thoughts. The topic was controversial. I knew there would be people who would not agree with me. I also knew that I was putting my writing out for others to judge. I feared critics seeing my writing and deciding I wasn’t worthy of joining the ranks of the authors around me. But I felt strongly about the topic and I knew the only way to stretch myself as a writer was to put myself out there. It took a moment of insane bravery and then I hit the submit button.
Even though I was right, there were people out there who didn’t agree with me, there were plenty who did. Readers seeing a topic that has a lot of comments will draw them in to see what people are talking about. They don’t want to miss out on something. And your passion for the topic may cause some to reconsider what they had previously held as truth.
Did everyone really need a three month supply of toilet paper? No, but they didn’t want to have buyer’s remorse over having missed out. Create that same level of invitation in your own writing by being willing to write about dangerous topics from a place of authenticity.
2. Invite Feedback, Even if the Commenters Don’t Agree With You
In today’s global market, chances are everything you write will hit people differently. Encourage your readers and followers to engage in respectful discourse on your articles. Creating that buzz around your writing will invite people in the same way a crowded toilet paper aisle or a busy craft stall would.
Be sure to manage your commenters and respond to them. Especially the ones who are respectfully stating a different opinion. Role modeling how to engage with those who see things differently than you will show others what you expect. Displaying open-mindedness — even if the commenter doesn’t change your mind — will give others the freedom to express their opinions and the invitation to consider both sides.
If you’re able to remove hate speech comments from your site, make sure to keep up with it regularly. If you’re not in control of the comments section, report these comments in accordance with the guidelines where your writing appears. Keep the conversation honest, not hostile and it will invite more people to follow you.
3. Use Headlines, Social Media, and Current Topics to Draw People In
Today’s society is more fast-paced than ever. Gone are the days of waiting for news reports to hear about what’s happening around you. People receive information almost instantly. In order to keep up with the fast-moving barrage of information, you need to stay relevant to your readers.
Covid-19 has been mentioned one billion times in the media. Compare that with SARS (which received 56.2 million mentions according to Google News), and you see how clearly we respond to repetition. Having a daily or weekly schedule of how you manage your social media and reach your followers is key to staying relevant in today’s culture. Make a reasonable plan and follow up with it. Keep your headlines engaging and with enough mystery to make readers want to stop and click on your article.
One word of caution. Yes, you need to stay relevant. But make sure it’s relevant and draws in the readership you want. Bikes might be trending, but if you’re not passionate about bikes then creating a loyal following of bike enthusiasts won’t actually build your base. Make sure to pick topics that will draw in the audience you want to write for. People are smart and they can smell a fraud, and will genuinely engage with authenticity. You won’t help yourself by building an audience that doesn’t share your passions. And then you’ll have to start from the bottom floor and build your following again. Save yourself the hassle and stay true to yourself.
4. Limit Quantities
Some stores decided to be proactive and imposed limits on the number of toilet paper a customer could purchase at one time. These stores were hoping to prevent a shortage of toilet paper at their store. They put up signs letting customers know about the new policy. That inadvertently created a toilet paper panic.
Many customers who were only planning to get one package of toilet paper that day, or were possibly not getting any, were suddenly wondering if there was something going on that they didn’t know about. There was a fear that the next time they needed toilet paper, there wouldn’t be any. Now customers were buying the maximum allowable amount in fear that the toilet paper was going to run out and caused the actual shortage the store and the customers were nervous about.
This tactic of “limited quantity” can create an artificial urgency around your writing. Perhaps you only have time to process ten new newsletter subscriptions a day and need to ask for your new followers to be patient as you process them by limiting it to ten new sign-ups. Maybe you have a limit on the number of new contributors to your author website or social media page that you have time to read and respond to. Letting potential readers and contributors know your limits is a great way to encourage a reluctant subscriber to follow through so they don’t miss out on the great content you can offer them.
As writers, we have a desire to create and share with others. In order to reach people, we have to find ways to grow our following to share our craft. It can be hard to know where to start when you’re new to the public writing world. Use these strategies to grow your readership. If you’re already implementing strategies like these, comment below about how it is going, and any strategies you’re using.
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Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about these marketing techniques for writers, and be sure to let us know if you have any tips for drawing in a larger readership.
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