Context: The Killer of Confusion

Words are just words. Stories are just stories. But with context, concepts come alive. According to Dictionary.com, Context is “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement or idea, in terms by which it can be fully understood.”

In other words, it’s not just about the message, it’s almost more importantly about everything happening around the message that gives it meaning. Humans understand and process information in context. For marketers, this means understanding where your audience will consume the information they receive (Mobile? Tablet? Laptop?), as well as the mindset they’re likely in when they receive it, so they’ll pay attention.

For instance, do you know what their top business pains are? And how is what you’re offering a “painkiller” to these business pains?

In social, content is important, but context is HUGE.

If your content is not in the right context for both your specific social media platform and for the audience you want to engage, it’s a social gunshot – throwing a bunch of words in the air and hoping that, somehow, somewhere, they land on a few people in a way that makes sense and captures their attention.

Providing the right context in social sharing is an art form.

The words that you Tweet, post or write are planting the seed for the experience. When your audience takes your message and relates it to their life in a new way, that’s when the experience blossoms.

The Socialsphere is a place where we present our thoughts and ideas to the world, where the challenge lies in making those thoughts and ideas connect with our audience.

[Tweet “The words that you Tweet, post or write are planting the seed for the experience via @bryankramer”]

What do I share and how do I share it?

What will resonate? Will I lose likes or followers? It’s tough, right? I do believe this—the more authentic you are, the more you will get out of your share.

But you have to be mindful of context when you share, always. For starters, you can do this by slowing down and getting out of your own head.