How To Connect Like Oprah

We have all heard the story of Oprah, from poor little black girl in Mississippi to Queen of the talk-show, billionaire businesswoman and arguably the most influential woman in the world.

Imagine having that power to connect with so many people; to have an influence on the books they read, products they buy and lifestyle choices they make…phenomenal!

How did she get this great power to connect?

Is it something she was born with or a skill she learnt?

More importantly, can we get that same skill to connect and influence both in everyday business and in your social media marketing?

Absolutely!

You see, when Oprah first started on TV she didn’t think that her own personality would be good enough so she tried to be Barbara Walters in the way she spoke and acted. And there’s one thing that people can pick a mile away is when someone is faking it…not being real. Our BS radar comes up and mistrust creeps in because we sense that something isn’t right.

Oprah’s Secret To Success

Oprah stumbled upon her secret to success…and it is a secret we can all harness for our relationships both in business and in our personal lives.

Oprah showed her underbelly. Her vulnerability – the soft spot in her psyche where she could be wounded easily. She shared her childhood abuse, her struggles with weight, her passions, her frustrations and everything in between.

The moment that Oprah became authentic and allowed people to see her vulnerabilities was the start of her trajectory into the millions and billions that she earns today.

The reason?

Showing her vulnerability made her human and connectable to her viewers and suddenly they could relate and trust because she showed that she has been where they are and survived. It gave them hope.

When people trust, they buy into the relationship. When there is a relationship they will become a customer. When they have a good customer experience they become an advocate.

So how does this translate to your business and social media marketing?

Well, it’s about giving people the ability to connect with you on a human level instead of just focusing on the business side of things all the time.

Inject Some Personality

Injecting some of your personality into your marketing is actually quite easy to do in with social media marketing. Add some posts into your editorial calendar that share your interests, for example: John is a builder of homes and posts regularly tips about building a house, renovation ideas and inspiration but John is also a keen golfer and could inject into his weekly posting schedule a post with an image of a ‘Dream Golf Course’ that he would aspire to play.

Not only will this appeal to all golfers but golf courses themselves are often beautifully landscaped which will compliment the lovely homes that he builds and inspire people with gorgeous lawns.

Golfers often have above average incomes and would represent his target market for luxury homes. It may even translate into the occasional game of golf with prospective clients…simply by sharing a little of his golf aspirations.

How can you show your vulnerabilities to your customers or inject some personality into your social media marketing?

Love to hear your comments.