Today marks the 15 year anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death. Garcia was the front man, among other things, for the Grateful Dead, who were social media pioneers. Regardless of what you think of the Grateful Dead or Garcia himself, have a look at one of my favorite posts: 3 Social Media Lessons from the Grateful Dead. You’ll find that everything we need to know about social media was taught to us by the Grateful Dead.
Here are the highlights:
Lesson #1: Your customers are your most important assets. Listen and engage with them.
Lesson #2: Give back to your customers and they’ll give you brand loyalty in return.
Lesson #3: Don’t be afraid to experiment.
The Grateful Dead allowed people to come to their concerts and record their shows. They even set up a special area for these fans called “Tapers Sections.” These tapes were dubbed and shared among fans, and for many people, it was their first introduction to the band. Think about your introduction to a company today. Did someone share that company’s content with you?
Finally , in Garcia’s own words, he said, “Our strong suit is what we do, and our audience.” – Is that your company’s mentality as well?
R.I.P. Jerry.
Author: Josh Fleming
www.lessingflynn.com
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I remember reading a book in my marketing class at Iowa, called Radical Marketing, and an entire chapter was devoted to how the Grateful Dead pioneered the social media tactics we employ today. I love when I read these stories about how they shaped the industry that is now a part of our daily lives!