Selling Yourself Online, Lessons from the CMO of OkCupid
“…maybe you’ve had a house that you have not gotten anyone to be excited about for months and months, maybe you work at a tech company and it’s been hard to get people to engage. You can’t keep doing the same thing. You have to do something that stops people in their tracks.”
– Melissa Hobley, CMO OKcupid
Whether we are entrepreneurs or real estate agents, we all want to reach our target audience, engage with them and, retain those relationships. It may sound shocking to compare building business relationships to the world of online dating however, when it comes to social media, there’s a real art to how we present and promote ourselves. Social media has become for many audiences – the first opportunity to make a lasting impression.
In Episode #2 of The Relentless, Dr. Julie Gurner sits down with Melissa Hobley, who’s the Chief Marketing Officer of OKcupid, one of the world’s largest online dating apps. OKcupid has been around for over fifteen years and is responsible for romantic connections and weddings across the globe. Melissa helped OKcupid become relevant again by creating a bold new identity for the brand that increased new business and re-engaged existing clients.
In this now digital age, using social media to reach new people and maintain current relationships, is almost unavoidable. Developing a strategy that yields results can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to become your narrative.
“I define relentless as not giving up. you don’t take the initial set of circumstances as your best and final answer, whatever it may be. You push through those challenges, you push through those barriers, you push through the no’s, you find creative ways to get there.” – Melissa Hobley
Melissa provides some very meaningful takeaways for those who may be struggling with putting themselves out there on social media. These tips can be broken down into smaller, more feasible steps to make building your digital presence more attainable.
Key Takeaways
- Establish yourself as a leader in your field- You may not feel comfortable talking about your family online or your personal beliefs, but you can establish yourself as a professional by sharing what you know about communities you provide your services in. There are lots of people online looking to see who’s representing the communities they want to build their lives in. You can share information about the best restaurants, parks, things to do, and places to shop. This will set you apart as a leader in your field as people search for the answers to their questions online.
- Know your target- This can separate an average salesperson from an extraordinary one. Obsess over the details when trying to reach your target. It shows your target an immediate value in meeting with you, working with you, pairing with you, and listening to you. Melissa says, “If you don’t know who you are trying to sell to, or you have a very clear target in mind and you don’t take the time to get to know them, you’ll never be successful.”
- Keep your profile current- Melissa refers to an online profile as a living, breathing thing. Surprisingly, she also mentions that “three out of four dating app profiles are set and never updated again.” As people are window shopping on social media looking for information, searching for that next thing to buy, or looking for someone to connect with, taking the precautions to ensure your profile is relevant, and an accurate representation of who you are and what you offer can add great value to your online presence. It is that first impression that can determine whether someone decides to directly message you or connect with your online profile whether personal or business.
These 3 tips can help you become relentless in the digital space and overcoming the initial fears and unknowns. If you’re making your way to your north star – whatever that may be, Melissa makes a key statement that couldn’t ring truer. “Don’t take the initial circumstances as your best and final answers. Push through challenges and barriers and find creative ways to get there.”
More from this episode
What does Melissa feel it takes to be bold? What online tactic does Melissa say will work in almost any industry? How can you leverage the tips and strategies she shares for your own online presence? All these answers and more are in this episode of The Relentless!
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