Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m a big Star Wars fan.

The truth is, I think about Star Wars all the time.

I can make anything relate to Star Wars.

Got a problem? Need motivation? Trouble picking a restaurant? There’s a Star Wars scene for that.

So, it should come as no surprise that I have a list of Star Wars references that apply to social media marketing.

Don’t believe me? Then… I find your lack of faith disturbing.

So, here we go – five lessons Star Wars can teach you about social media marketing…

“Never tell me the odds.”

Han Solo’s abrupt response to C3P0’s dismal prediction they were going to perish trying to navigate an asteroid field was simply, “Never tell me the odds.”

And then into the asteroid field they flew.

They, of course, survived.

It wasn’t pretty, but they achieved the result they wanted.

Han doesn’t stop to think too much, but he’s a practical being with lots of life experience, and he knows that sometimes it’s better to take action and roll with it rather than over-analyzing the data.

In social media, we can get lost in data.

While I fully support studying analytics, observing your competitors, and testing and tweaking your approach on social media, there comes a time when you just have to take action and watch for what sticks.

This is especially true if your business is new to social media.

Entrepreneurs are often (understandably) manic about honing their brand and getting their message and approach absolutely 100% perfect before launching a social media marketing campaign, but after a certain point, this approach does more harm than good and just stalls things.

This is because it will never be perfect.

No one can predict with 100% accuracy what your results are going to be. You don’t know when something is going to go viral. You could have a video sit dormant on YouTube for years (yes, years!) and then suddenly go viral for some unexpected reason (like when an influencer pays attention to your content).

Or maybe you successfully get a ton of clicks on a bit.ly link you created, but you don’t get many downloads (which is what you really wanted) because while your headline or teaser copy was great, your sales page was lacking… who knew? The truth is, you wouldn’t have known unless you took action, observed the results, and then took more action based on what you observed.

You can’t control everything.

Just launch.

See what works. And what doesn’t. Then adjust and relaunch.

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

During a frustrating training session, Yoda tells Luke Skywalker, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

You can’t be half-committed to your business’s social media presence.

You’re either in or you’re out.

If you decide your business is going to have an official Facebook page, then you must be prevalent on Facebook. Consistency is key to building rapport with your audience.

Do not have a Facebook page that you basically ignore most of the time. If you don’t respond to Facebook questions and comments regarding your business in a timely manner, you will give the impression that you just don’t care about your target audience, and this will hurt your business more than having no Facebook page whatsoever.

Do not overwhelm yourself by thinking you have to be present on every single social media platform in existence.

It is better to be wholeheartedly into one platform than it is to be barely active on a multitude of social media sites.

Focus on what works for you.

If you need a logical place to start, just concentrate your efforts on one of the Social Media Big 5 (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube), and then gradually branch out.

If you flat-out don’t have the time or resources to fully commit to your social media campaign, look into hiring a social media manager, or learn about the many social media tools that are available that can help you get more done in less time.

“There is another.”

After seemingly entrusting the fate of the entire galaxy to rookie Jedi Luke Skywalker, Luke decides to ditch the greater good to save his friends from certain death.

Obi Wan Kenobi loses hope.

But, wait. Yoda is not worried. Why?

Because… as Yoda says, “There is another.”

Another Chosen One. A backup, just in case.

Always have another option.

While it’s perfectly acceptable (and even favorable) to have a preferred social media outlet, you want to be careful not to fall in love with any single platform too much.

Plan for growth. Prepare to diversify your social media presence. Have a backup. There should always be a contingency plan if things don’t work out the way you expected.

Again – some things are just out of your control.

Social media trends change. Companies go belly-up. Some new social media platform could spring up and your audience will shift their attention elsewhere. Or, your favorite social media platform may change their algorithm in a way that destroys your visibility.

In any case, your audience will constantly be on the move and you have to be prepared to move with them.

The best way to keep tabs on your audience is to get them to join an email list, and then use various social media platforms to grow this list.

You will always control and own your email list, which makes it more valuable than your following on social media.

A really effective way to grow your list is to have an offering – such as a downloadable PDF or ebook – that you can promote on social media.

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”

The Force is older than everything.

Its existence almost gets forgotten in a galaxy fitted with wonderful technology.

But ultimately, if Star Wars teaches us anything, it’s that nothing beats the power of The Force.

The galaxy may change, but The Force remains the same.

If you are hesitating to get on social media because you’re too old fashioned, I’ve got news for you.

Those old school tactics of yours never went out of style. They are still valid and important, and they are necessary in the realm of social media marketing.

Nothing’s really changed. Social media is just a new medium.

You can’t have a successful social media presence if you don’t know the old fashioned ins and outs of how to network and build meaningful relationships. Or, if you don’t know how to listen to your audience and zero-in on their needs.

The best social media marketers have mastered the old school ways.

And, like the Jedi (or Sith, depending on your preferences), they have adapted to social media, knowing that otherwise, they will get left behind and forgotten.

“Stay on target.”

Remember the trench battle scene?

The pilots had a very small target they needed to hit in order to completely destroy the Death Star.

“Stay on target,” was the incessant reminder. Shoot too wide, and nothing would happen.

Pointless.

The pilots had one job, and nothing else mattered.

On social media, it’s easy to get distracted.

It’s easy to get blinded by multiple goals and superfluous targets.

That’s when nothing happens. Because you didn’t stay on target.

Hiring an agency to handle your social media can help you stay on track, but if you are not clear on your goals, an agency can steer you wrong as well.

Be laser-focused on what you want to achieve on social media, and forget everything else.

Be prepared for a long haul.

Be clear on who you want to engage.

Don’t be blinded by vanity numbers. Do you want thousands of followers who will never buy anything from you, or do you want to grow your business?

Believe it or not, Star Wars has much to offer in terms of wisdom regarding social media marketing. Don’t get lost in the data, be consistently present in order to build rapport with your audience, always have a backup, never forget the old school methods of business marketing, and above all… stay on target. May The Force be with you… always.

 

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