Get Their Attention (Dancing Monkeys)
Automated, online networking is going to be different than networking in a live event. Sure, some of the same principles may apply, but the initial attraction is going to be completely different. It requires what marketers call a “pattern interrupt.” Then you can segue into a real genuine topic of conversation.
You see, we need to know psychologically, emotionally, on a gut level why someone wants what they want and then we can attract them with something seemingly, completely unrelated yet amusing, this will disrupt their normal guarded defense mechanisms long enough to catch them where they live, so to speak. Hence, the dancing monkeys.
But, we better have somewhere to go quickly or they will jump off just as quickly as they looked our way to notice a strange spectacle. So we take that seemingly unrelated amusement and quickly bridge it to our intended topic. Be careful, this is an art form in itself…
Would you believe serious, professional people and companies do this all the time, everywhere in the world? So, where am I going with this?
Of course, it’s a metaphor used in the advertising world. Dancing monkeys are also a kind of an insult for when an ad company stoops to a new low in their attempt to attract an audience. This Super Bowl commercial is an example: It’s just about wasting millions of dollars on an ad campaign by e-trade. (See Video Below)
And do you know what’s funny? Our beloved WordPress had a little Super Bowl commercial and they took a swipe at the stupid money the big ads spend on dancing monkeys and celebrities. LOL
Some web builders make super expensive ads.
WordPress powers more of the internet than any of them. pic.twitter.com/BFvq6Pw79c
— WordPress.com (@wordpressdotcom)
As bad as this term is, it seems to be pretty accurate for what gets the quickest attention on social media. There are so many examples of things that can be considered to be dancing monkeys, I will just give you a very short list. This should get your imagination flowing anyway.
- One of my favorite dancing monkeys is ridiculous political stories and memes. There’s a never ending supply from all sides of the political spectrum.
- Brain teasers are always good. Do a little online search to find some.
- Ego challenging quizzes are another great way to attract attention.
- Viral or controversial memes will get a lot of people.
- I also like to use more direct, but curiosity-inducing questions.
So if you would like to use this tactic to fire up your own automated, online speed networking system, be sure to sign up for updates. I will be sharing little bits and pieces of our whole system. You will also get updates about new blog posts and launch notifications.
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