We shall tweet on the beaches: why Churchill would have excelled in social spaces
We all know that when it comes to social media content is king. We also know that when it comes getting your message out there the mystical 140 characters is the main consideration. We all want to write killer content that fits into a tweet or a Facebook status update, don’t we?
Well, it is true to a large degree, but the introduction of shortened urls of 10 – 12 characters allow us to link to other content. We just need to make sure that we throw out a nicely baited hook, a tweet of 120 – 130 characters that captures the mood of the piece and inspires the reader.
This is nothing new. Great writers and speakers have always had the ability to grab the attention of their audience with a few well chosen words. I think Winston Churchill is a prime example, with his reputation as a orator built around his ability to communicate with great brevity and wit.
In crafting our online brand or identity we want people to follow us, we all strive to be great social networking leaders. We want our creative use of language to encourage people, to persuade people, to influence public opinion, to find new audiences and we want to do all this within the space of 120 or so characters. Some would argue that the whole face of communications has been changed by social media. I’d agree to a degree but we can look to the past, to a time before tweets and text updates, for some of the best examples of using concise messages to provide impact.
Take the following short messages. Wouldn’t these, accompanied by a shortened url, inspire you to follow the link and read more?
There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion. Read more at www…….
The problems of victory are more agreeable than those of defeat, but they are no less difficult. Read more at www…….
If the Almighty were to rebuild the world and asked me for advice, I would have English Channels round every country. Read more at www…….
All credited to Churchill. All make me want to read more and yet on their own provoke thought and reflection. Churchill would have excelled in the use of social media.
Churchill wouldn’t have seen only the risk of using social media, as is the case with many leaders including those who lead public and private sector organisations. He would have immediately seen the power in using social channels to influence the thoughts and actions of people through well crafted micro blogging. Churchill was adept at the skill of immediate communication, of interpreting events as they unfolded around him and simultaneously translating these for a nation. The lesson here for me is that great leaders are brilliant real-time communicators and social media provides leaders with the most effective method for communicating real-time. It’s a no brainer really, if we really want to be leaders in the 21st century we must tweet on the beaches.