Still don’t believe that social media marketing can have a huge impact on your business? Have you seen anyone dump a bucket of ice water on their head lately? I bet you have.
To many business owners in the security services industry, social media is this big, daunting beast that only the Millennials — Gen Y to some — can understand. They see it as a time-waster for the kids; they hardly use it, if at all; and they certainly don’t see the benefits it can have for their business.
But the ALS Foundation may have finally changed that for even the staunchest non-supporters of the Twitter and Facebook universe. They have proven that a social media phenomenon can shatter the walls of the Internet and expand into prime-time television, PR efforts, podcasts, radio — you name it. Last night, I witnessed Julie Chen, host of CBS’s Big Brother, accept the ice bucket challenge on live network television (and now I am outed as a Big Brother watcher…yikes!).
You may be thinking: Sure, it was easy for people to get behind a charity — how are people possibly going to do something like this for a security services provider? The answer is, you are probably right, people won’t; but, consider this: it only takes one well-placed person to put your campaign in front of thousands of eyes and launch your marketing campaign into the stratosphere.
Origins of the Challenge
According to my Internet research (thanks, Wikipedia!), the origins of the idea of dumping cold water on one's head to raise money for charity have been attributed to multiple sources. From mid 2013 to early 2014, a challenge often called the "Cold Water Challenge" became popular on social media in areas of the Northern United States. The task usually involved the option of either donating money to cancer research or having to jump into cold water.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation popularized the "Cold Water Challenge" in early 2014 to raise funds as an unsanctioned spin-off of the polar plunge most widely used by Special Olympics as a fundraiser.
I imagine someone at the ALS Foundation saw these precursors and, faced with the monumental task of increasing donations — and ultimately awareness — thought “why not try this?” Little did that person know it would change the course of the organization and create a viral sensation.
The ALS challenge first received increased U.S. media attention when personalities of the Golf Channel program Morning Drive performed a live, on-air Ice Bucket Challenge. Soon after, golfer Greg Norman challenged Matt Lauer, who did the challenge on NBC's The Today Show — and the snowball was effectively rolling down the hill.
Lightning in a Bottle
Now, you may be thinking: “Well…I’ll just create my own viral video and drive thousands of dollars in new business!” Sorry, but you can’t just set out to make a viral video, or a social media sensation. You need the right person(s) to see your message and run with it, and that’s just pure luck. Just look at the different charities that tried an ice bucket-like challenge before some guy on a network morning show made it launch.
It may be lucky, it may have been strategic, but whatever the end-result, it never would have happened without some creative social media marketing. If the world of social media is a total enigma to you, I urge you to check out a July 2014 article in Security Dealer & Integrator, Social Media 101 (www.securityinfowatch.com/11521380) — which is the beginner’s guide to social media.
Whether you haven’t done it before, or if you just want to step up your social marketing efforts to the next level, it’s time to brainstorm with your team. Come up with some ideas, keep tossing the proverbial cooked spaghetti against the wall, and see what sticks — you never know, someone just might toss cold water on the idea, and you end up the talk of the nation.
