burgundy improved: 7 Tips For Influencing Offline Behavior Using Social Media

Over the years there has been much conversation about how people behave outside of their realities while online.? A recent study demonstrates just how being connected to social media channels specifically can affect our daily ?real lives.? The most interesting takeaway? Not all outcomes equate to the doom and gloom our parents feared.

Here are a few thoughts to consider when questioning the good of social media in our offline lives.

Self Improvement

One does not need to go looking for an inspiring message or killer quote to cling to during that last set at the gym as friends share such content just often enough to clue you in.? From pinned recipes on Pinterest to Facebook pages dedicated to the latest diet fads, people are being driven to act on the messages they see and hear online.

Tip:? Use pictures that connect with your audience to share your message. There are a number of fun apps that can help you create an easy image on the fly. A new favorite of mine is an iPhone app called Over.?I know I have personally experienced a foul mood lifted from a simple random gesture of sharing a kind thought. Share across social channels, and ask your community to weigh in on how they took part.

?Creativity unleashed

It used to be that you had to pick up a magazine for inspiration if you had a hankering for an art project. The internet has made DIY projects easier to work through. Everything from how to make your own rainbow shorts to wear at Coachella to finding inspiration for dinner on Pinterest. (Our very own Melanie Thompson is a huge Pin-head and shares her Pinterest finds on her blog.)? Social media is contributing to the maintenance and beautification of homes everywhere.

Tip: Provide your community with a video or pictorial instruction on how they can act on your inspiring messages. Give them sufficient steps, and invite them to come back online after the fact and share their success.

Doing business

Connecting offline today typically follows or is followed by an online connection. Whether getting to know a potential business partner by following them on Twitter before that first meet up, or connecting with them on LinkedIn so you can keep tabs on one another?s projects after that initial business meeting, having an online connection makes for a talking point when doing business offline.

Tip: To really drive home the idea of being human in your social interactions online, make the move and invite that new found Twitter friend for a business drink to discuss ideas in more than 140 characters at a time.

That?s entertaining

While not exactly an example of being inspired to take action offline with what is experienced online, social media has given TV lovers an interactive experience with social TV. Otherwise, people are looking to social media more frequently for reviews of concerts, movies, and sporting events.

Tip: When deciding to host an offline event, think about the flow between offline and online first thing by having chosen hashtags in place and meet-ups planned for people to network face to face.

Buying all the right things

Relying on recommendations and even being sufficiently targeted in ads on social networking sites, today?s consumers are affected when they walk the aisles of stores by what they see online from the polls they participate in to the brand pages they like.

Tip: Be transparent about your products and confident that consumers have all of the right information to make informed purchases. Hiding details about your latest upgrade or change may spark negative conversation about you. Give customers a reason to talk about you positively around the watercooler.

Happy trails

While many of us take virtual vacations by flipping through the photos of friends, or visiting resort websites, the real travel magic happens offline. Thanks to a number of review sites and an even greater number of travel bloggers, savvy travelers have prepared trips from the planning to the booking on their mobile devices and computers.

Tip: Be open to online conversation about the good, the bad, and the ugly where your brand is concerned. Open up and talk to the community who are inquiring about services you may offer. The feel-good vibes you give off will affect their final decision.

Digging deep

The internet brings us closer to charitable events, fundraising needs, and philanthropic opportunities. Giving becomes easier with more options of where to spread? your charitable donations than ever before. Signing up for The Terry Fox run online leads to running the race in the real world where one could meet like-minded fundraisers. Sites like Kickstarter allow equal opportunity to whoever may wish to help fund an exciting new project.

Tip: Give and take. Reap and sow. Remember to stick to the two way street of back and forth gratitude. Offer your community everything from heartfelt thank yous to the occasional special offers and gifts. Don?t take their loyalty for granted. Make them feel loved.

Personally, I won?t stay at a hotel unless they?re on social media, and if I can?t check into a restaurant on Foursquare without having to add it first, I question whether or not I want to be there. Social media has changed my offline world. Chances are great you have a few interesting examples of your own. Please share with us how your offline life is better (or worse) as a result of all of those hours invested online.

For those times when you ARE actively engaged online, be sure to check out our free ebook, 20 Ways to Succeed at Social Media Engagement.