The Professor Harold Hill Guide to Social Media

Every one is talking about Social Media. Get on Facebook! Be on Twitter! Get a LinkedIn account! Once you on everyone will pay attention to your message. Uh Wrong! I recently did an interview about my success on twitter. All that was mentioned when the editing was done was that I twittered come get a 10% discount. The most important part of my social media strategy was left out. It is what I call the Professor Harold Hill Marketing Technique.

In Merideth Wilson's Musical the Music Man a man known as "Professor" Harold Hill rolls into town to sell band instruments and uniforms by creating a boys band.

The first thing Hill has to figure out is how this boys band will help the town out of the grave danger it is in. Marcellus, an old friend, informs him that a new pool table was just delivered to the town's local billiard parlor, and as a part of his scheme, Harold convinces River City parents "that game with the fifteen numbered balls is the devil's tool".

The next day is Independence Day, and Mayor Shinn is leading the morning festivities in the high school gym, with the help of his wife, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. After a Tommy Djilas, a boy from the wrong side of town, sets off a firecracker, interrupting the proceedings, Harold takes the stage and announces to the townspeople that he will prevent "sin and corruption" from the pool table by forming a boys' band. He soon excitedly leads them with "Seventy-Six Trombones". Mayor Shinn, who owns the billiard parlor, tells the bickering school board to get Harold's credentials, but Harold teaches them to sing as a Barbershop Quartet instead. Harold also sets up Zaneeta, the mayor's oldest girl, with Tommy, and persuades Tommy to become his assistant. The town ladies are very excited about the band and the ladies' dance committee Harold plans to form. The school board arrives to collect Harold's credentials, but he leads them in singing "Goodnight, Ladies" and slips away.

Hill spends the next few days hanging wash, stripping peas from their pods and everything needed to convince parent their boy needs to be part of the band. He even has the Mayor convince to get his son involved. That is until the Mayor realizes he doesnt have a son. Soon the arrival of the "The Wells Fargo Wagon", which delivers the band instruments get the whole town excited. When Winthrop forgets to be shy and self-conscious because he is so happy about his new cornet, Marian begins to fall in love with Harold. She tears the incriminating page out of the Journal before giving the book to Mayor Shinn.

All of these techniques can and should be used in all marketing, especially Social Media.

1. Find the pain.

2. Shout out the solution

3. Build the relationships

4. Deliver the goods