Brands, Use Anchor like a Telephone – Not a Megaphone

Brands, please use Anchor like a telephone –  not a megaphone. This means listening and adding value to Anchor conversations — not using waves as your audio ad channel.

If you’re thinking about using Anchor for business, here are some suggestions before diving in:

1. Spend most of your time listening – not talking.

Don’t start creating audio content without first listening to how others are using it. Spend several hours navigating Anchor to listen to discussions that matter to your community.

Listen to some of the trending conversations going on to get a feel of the Anchor culture. If you don’t enjoy listening to other people’s points of view, this platform is not for you. Most of your time on this platform should be listening, not talking.

One of the biggest benefits to listening is that you’ll discover topics and challenges your target audience has. As you listen to waves based around topics important to your business, have your notepad open so that you can jot down the interesting comments made. These waves can inspire a boatload of content. You just need to listen – and take notes of what is being said (and by who).

2. Replies are more important than posts.

When first starting out, you might not receive a lot of engagement on your waves. It’s similar to joining any new social network. It takes time for others to find you – and it takes time for you to find your target audience. Don’t worry if you’re not receiving a lot of replies on your waves. Instead, participate on other member’s conversations that matter to your target audience.

Reply whenever you can add value to the discussion. Make it a goal to reply to 8 to 10 different people every day. This will help you increase your visibility, gain relevant Anchor followers, and begin to earn some replies back on your posts.

3. Focus on adding value to the Anchor conversations.

Don’t simply reply to a thread because it’s popular or trending. Only join into a conversation if your brand can add value. Spending time on Anchor is like attending a party. There are different conversations happening all over the room. You are welcome to join into any discussion, but make sure you’re there add value (e.g. share your point of view, ask another question that fits into that discussion, reply to someone else who replied).

4. Don’t fight for perfection, focus on being personal.

Don’t try to create perfect waves. Anchor isn’t a podcast… it’s like a phone conversation. The anchor community craves real dialogue — not perfected sound bites. Have fun as you dialog with others and don’t take yourself too seriously. If you make a mistake, just roll with it. Being vulnerable and not worried about revealing your audio mistakes will help your brand become more human. And it will be appreciated.

5. Find the right person to be the voice of your organization.

It’s not about finding someone who has the best voice, it’s about finding the person in your organization who can represent your brand well. The company’s first pick should probably be the community manager who is already doing this. You need to find someone who enjoys conversation and quick to respond while a conversation is happening (or just starting up).

The person handling Anchor should be personable, helpful, and doesn’t take himself/herself too seriously. If your brand has a big team, you could have multiple people replying to different waves depending on their specialty.

Read the complete article here.

You can also hear the discussion about this article on Anchor.