When talking about children’s books, some of the titles surely to be brought up are The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who! and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. These, among others, are classic tales written by an American author, poet and World War II hero named Theodor Seuss Geisel, most widely known in pop culture as Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss was not your ordinary storyteller dealing with common morals and lessons. He often touched issues on environmentalism, anti-consumerism, racial equality, and militarization. That makes it no wonder that his stories did not only appeal to the young but also to teenagers and adults alike.
Dr. Seuss was open in discussing his methods and motivations in writing. These nuggets of gold have been treasured as guiding principles in literature and public media. Either through direct quotations or passages in his books, his philosophies can be applied in social media marketing:
“I meant what I said and I said what I meant.”
One important ingredient in making an impact: sincerity. You have to own your words; otherwise people will persecute you and question your integrity. Before you put a word out, check if it really represents what you wanted to convey.
“The more you read the more things you will know.”
Dr. Seuss wanted to promote reading among children, and for adults he acknowledges man’s innate thirst to learn. It’s hard to introduce concepts to people if you don’t have anything to give. Reading inspires, motivates and brews ideas so we can share them.
“Why fit in, when you were born to stand out!”
Social media is becoming so multi-faceted that the only way to be noticed is to be extremely unique. If your content doesn’t have that x factor, recognition will be a long shot.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because the ones who mind don’t matter, and the ones who matter don’t mind.”
Critics may decry your work, but they are not who you’re marketing for – it’s the audience who matters, and as long as you cater to their needs, you’re doing fine.
“Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.”
Statistics will tell you that posts with photos gain more engagement, and common sense will tell you why.
“It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”
Perhaps one of Dr. Seuss’s most famous lines, this just means that you are always allowed mixing enjoyment in achieving your marketing goals – in fact, sometimes it’s a pre-requisite to being effective. You just have to determine certain boundaries to remind yourself to stay on track.
