Middle America Is Not Twitter America

I'm bookending today's blog post with quotes from David Ogilvy:

"If you're trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think."

I just spent the weekend driving through Colorado. It's not Middle America, but it's close. Our rural towns are similar to Iowa's rural towns (It's not the state you're in that matters, it's the state of mind you're in).

These are the towns that make up most of America.

They're the towns that elect our Presidents.

They're the towns that keep Wal-Mart on top.

And they're the towns that listen to our advertising.

If you or your brand are going to be big in this world--really big--you need to get these people to listen to you.

I tell you this: They don't Twitter. They don't Flickr. They don't Blackberry.

They watch TV. They still read a newspaper. They go on online to look for recipes and how to overhaul a starter motor.

So when you're writing good advertising, remember. Social media is only good advertising if you know your customers use social media. So know your customers. And treat them accordingly. It's like Ogilvy said: "The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife."