“To be or not to be..” – classic one liners are nothing new – they’ve been around for as long as stories could be told, and the most memorable have become part of our every day language. What makes them memorable is that they’re draped in emotion – sorrow, pain, joy, laughter, inspiration, shock, horror, fear, or just plain nostalgia. The classics may last forever.
Who doesn’t love a good one liner? Hollywood in all its story telling grandeur has become the place to conjure up those classic moments of cinema that will be remembered and repeated for years to come. We’ve had some epic deliveries from true Hollywood legends over the years. Script writers’ hearts must dance with glee when they realise they’ve come up with a magic bullet which will live on far beyond the box office takings.
I don’t claim to be a movie buff by any stretch, but a modest love of films mixed with a passion for using social media in the right way for business has led me to come up with a few ‘lessons to be learned’ from some of Hollywood’s great one liners. And if the lessons can help along the way, even better! Enjoy…
1. “Go the distance” – Field of Dreams
One of my favourite movies!
The fact is, social media is not a fad. It’s not something that will work overnight either. If you expect to get a return on social media for your business, you’ve got to commit the time and energy. As Kevin Costner sat in that Iowa ballpark with the wonderful James Earl Jones, he realised there was more to this than first appeared. As is the same with social media – you mustn’t quit after a week when you don’t see the results. Perseverance is essential – keep plugging away and you’ll eventually crack the code. Don’t sell the farm prematurely – you may never know what you’ll be missing..this is for the long haul!
2. “Bee yourself” – Aladdin
That big blue, Robin Williams- shaped Genie is right! Social media is a place to show your personality – stay true to your brand, don’t be false and social media will work better. Businesses of all sizes need to be human if they’re going to relate to their audience. Beware! There’s a fine between having a personality and being unprofessional, between being human and being over-familiar – don’t cross that line!
3. “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” – What A Girl Wants
Forget the sickeningly soppy scene, and take inspiration from the content – stand out! Originality and creativity will win when it comes to social media, so use it. The best way to compete with the rest is to be different – what’s unique about you? Come up with creative and original content and you’ve nailed it.
4. “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – The Lion King
What a wise old monkey! Yes, we’re human and we make mistakes. Things we try don’t always work, but at least we’re trying, right? True, but the real value is in the lessons learned. Test and learn all the time – you’ll get to know what works and what doesn’t for your audience. Just don’t give up when something falls a little flat, listen to the monkey!
5. “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” – The Godfather: Part II
Make it so good they can’t resist – tempt them in with compelling content, interact in a way that your audience warms to you, be endearing in your personality, and most importantly, give them exactly what they want. Attract your audience by creating the most interesting, most entertaining content for your social channels and you’ll have them eating out of the palm of your hand!
6. “Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – Dead Poets Society
Grab the opportunities that come along – make the most of trending topics. Real time marketing is the order of the day. If you can make a hot topic relevant to your business and your audience, and present it in an original and clever way, it can pay dividends. Just seize the day!
7. “May the Force be with you.” – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Wish others well is the lesson here. It’s not all about you – the key to social media success is building relationships, and what better way to get noticed than to congratulate someone, wish them luck, or help them? They’ll remember you, they’ll hopefully reciprocate, and it’ll help to make the connection which will hopefully become a relationship – and relationship building is what it’s all about.
8. “Here’s Johnny!” – The Shining
Scary as the wonderful Jack Nicholas may have been in his delivery of this infamous one liner, the fact is, he introduced himself! It’s a simple tip. Introduce yourself in groups and networks, and have your introduction perfected in a short and snappy way – who you are, what you do, who for, and where – in less than 140 characters…simple!
9. “You had me at ‘Hello'” – Jerry Maguire
They may not make you go weak at the knees in the way Tom Cruise did to Renee Zellweger, but if someone starts a conversation on social media, grab the opportunity. It’s an open door for you to connect, converse and start building a relationship. Don’t just close the door with a plain old ‘thanks’, try to keep the conversation going by showing an interest and personalising the response. Make an effort and it will be remembered.
10. “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” – A Streetcar Named Desire
It’s true – you’re connecting with people you’ve never met – complete strangers. And you’re relying on them to help you grow your business. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me, and if you’re using social media right, they won’t feel like complete strangers forever.
11. “I’ll be back” – The Terminator
You’ve made a connection, or you’ve participated in a chat, joined a group or tweeted during an event or in a Twitter network – don’t just leave it at that. Stay top of mind by returning to the group or the network, or by re-connecting with the individual. Continue to build on the foundations you’ve laid – remember, perseverance pays off. Don’t become a stalker though! Use your judgement and know when to “Let it go” – just to throw in an extra movie quote / song!
12. Why don’t you come up sometime and see me” – She Done Him Wrong
I’m not suggesting you hit on your followers or fans – please don’t do that! The lesson here is that once you’ve built an online relationship, why don’t you take it offline? Tweet ups, networking events, a coffee. Relationships can start online, but people relate much better to those who they’ve met in person. This is the way to really cement that relationship, so take people up on their offers, or extend an invitation and turn online connections into real life meetings.
13. “Play it [again] Sam” – Casablanca
Ok, so the real quote is simply “Play it Sam..”, but the popularly misquoted version includes the word ‘again’, which is exactly the point here. If you’ve got great content, don’t be afraid to share it more than once. Each social media platform has different etiquette of course, so how often you share your content will vary by each network. You can share a link to the same blog post more on Twitter for example than you do on Facebook. Just don’t expect one tweet to do all the work for you – promoting your content takes as much effort as creating it.
14. “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” – Casablanca
Think of every single connection made on social media as a potential customer, a potential brand advocate, someone who’s going to refer other customers your way, a potential ‘influencer’ of the future. Now, doesn’t that warrant a bit of effort? Don’t dismiss anyone. Make the effort with every connection if you can, because you never know what they can do for you. This really could be the beginning of something beautiful for your business.
15. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Jaws
A true classic! But what’s it got to do with social media marketing?! Well, as your business grows, as you hit busy times and become swamped, one of the first things you sacrifice will be the time you spend on your social media. Quite simply, don’t let it happen! If you need help, get it. If you need a bigger boat, get a bigger boat! Get someone to manage your social media in the short term, or outsource it long term if needed. Just make sure you get someone you can trust, who understands your business and who can do the job right – in the way that fits your brand. Don’t have all your hard work undone by bringing in someone who doesn’t ‘get it’.
16. “Made it Ma! Top of the world!” – White Heat
Dream case scenario – you’ll get to a point where the followers and fans are flocking in, your content is going viral at the click of a button (almost), the customers are pouring in, and your business is rocketing. If it happens, take a bow – you’ve made it!
Any suggestions you’d add to the list? Let me know in the comments. Or tweet me – I’ll look forward to the chat!
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