Aside from being very funny, there is a lot of truth to the Condescending Corporate Brand Page.
Whether on Facebook, or on other platforms, there is a rising tendency to patronize the audience.
It’s an awful idea to ask members to ‘tell us what you think‘, ‘share this with your friends‘, ‘connect with others‘. It gets a poor response, feels plastic-corporate, and neglects all the amazing thing you can do that really build a genuine community. The people that reply is dwarfed by the people you’re repelling.
There are two points here. The first is easier than the second.
First, you always have to talk like a real human being. Simple, but we tend to struggle.
Second, make a key decision early on. You’re not going to appeal to the masses. You’re not going to dumb-down your messages/activities to appeal to the bulk of the people. You’re not going to talk down to people.
Talk up to your audience, not down. Make it more brain-intensive to be engaged, not less. Attract the people that are really interested and knowledgeable about the topic. Challenge your members to be better, smarter, more knowledgeable.
It’s hugely more beneficial to have one committed participant than ten uncomitted participants. Every time you talk down to your community you’re doing a lot of harm.
