Betty Crocker was social before social became all the rage.

At this year’s WOMMA, the Keller Fay Group held up Betty Crocker as the first truly social brand.

She had followers, she had sharing, she had conversations and engagements, and she had people very emotionally connected to her existence.

A space any brand today would die for.

Throughout the conference, speakers reiterated the need to drive social to a conversation and sharing stage.  I’ts not just an exercise in disseminating content and seeking responses…in order to be truly engaging and effective, you want people to dialogue and share…and eventually become so emotionally connected to your brand that they don’t feel complete without it.

Somewhat of the nirvana state for a Marketer.

So the million dollar question is how do you replicate that in today’s social stratosphere?

Answer:  You Don’t!

With 90% of conversations about brands happening offline today, you need to turn your brand into a multi-dimensional creature, touching your consumers with its many tentacles in as many touch points as is reasonable.

The other million dollar question is how do I get people to engage?

Answer:  Give the farm away!

We have built our business by giving insights and ideas away.  Betty built it by giving her domestic counsel away for free.  Housewives looked to her as the expert, they respected her, and they believed that she was partly the conduit to a happier domestic life.  All important things back in the day.

So if you’re going to build a program whose model looks like Betty’s, remember to give it away, touch folks online as well as offline, and make what you share entertaining enough, valuable enough, and/or heartfelt enough to make people want to talk, share, and bond with your brand.

Go Betty!!