If you haven't read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon, you should.
The book is not like most others in that it's written in first-person from the perspective of a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome. The popular book was a best seller and has won multiple awards.
Here's what social media marketers can learn from this acclaimed novel:
1. It's different
A lot of us either suffer from a mental health or developmental issue or knows someone who does. But those with mental health and/ or developmental conditions are often stigmatized. Rarely are popular fiction books narrated in the first-person perspective by a child that suffers from a mental health or developmental/ neurodevelopment disorder. This makes the book interesting, unique, and different.
The best social media marketers have a good pulse of what their competitors are doing but stand out by being unique. This can come in the form of out-of-the-box social media contests and/ or creative content.
2. It resonates with people
When asked why they enjoyed the book, many readers said that it struck a cord with them. Although many of the people who read Haddon's book didn't know much about Asperger's Syndrome, they were able to relate to the boy's mission to become independent and find his role in the world, his introverted personality, and the feelings that come with developing self-confidence and stepping outside of one's comfort zone. The book did a great job of resonating with its readers.
Great social media marketers understand their audience(s) inside and out and produce social media content that resonates, or strikes a cord with them.
3. It's easy to read and to-the-point
The chapters of the book are very short and the sentences also short and to-the-point. The book is easy to read and understand. Long, flowery language isn't used. And you don't find words in the book that don't need to be there.
As a marketer, and especially a social media marketer, your ability to write clear and concisely, in a way for people to easily digest and understand, is essential. Haddon does a stellar job of this in the book. Be sure to eliminate redundancy and fluff and try to be to-the-point in your communications. This way, people can quickly glance over your social media update, understand what you're communicating, and take the action you'd like them to take.
As a social media professional, the ability to be unique and different, to resonate with your audience, and to write concisely are essential. The more you can improve in these areas, the more successful you're likely to be.