Photo by .: Philipp Klinger :.

The advertising and marketing industries run at a very fast pace, but even they can have a hard time keeping up technology. It’s rare that an ad agency gets the chance to present a tech-based idea to a client when it’s still in it’s early adoption phase and has a chance to blow up with the platform, and it’s even rarer that they are able to sell the idea. The truth is, simplicity is a rare commodity in the technological age, but it is crucial to save your idea from being killed in the boardroom.

As technology evolves and the opportunities grow, the job of selling your tech-based ideas will grow even more difficult; if something sounds complicated, it doesn’t sound good. Even if the idea is great, it is hard to sell the idea when you also have to sell the technology or the medium, so take a look at a few tips to help you bring your social media and technology-based ideas to life:

Demonstrate the platform

Many clients know to ask for Twitter, Facebook, iPhone apps, or Vimeo by name, but that doesn’t mean they know how to actually use the services, nor does it mean they know how their audience uses them. Because these platforms are constantly changing and providing new options, giving a brief demonstration of the technology or medium, even if your client is vaguely familiar with it, can significantly lower barriers when it comes to getting them on board. Further, if you can demonstrate a depth of knowledge about the technology, they will be more apt to trust your judgment in times when they’re not completely comfortable with making the leap. Demonstrating the platform using your own personal account will also provide a certain veracity to your arguments and prove that you’re a knowledgeable member of that community.

Stat-isfy your client

One of the hardest parts of selling a creative idea is risk mitigation—there’s risk involved with any idea, particularly when it involves a new technology or medium, and if you don’t have numbers to legitimize your idea in some way, you may spend your time fighting a losing battle. Instead of using first-hand accounts of your target using the medium, use services like Mintel or MRI Media Mark to discover your audience’s attitudes and behaviors towards the medium. Look to the creators of the technology for stats on usage and growth, explore third-party sites for further analysis, like All Facebook, Mashable, Read Write Web, or right here at Social Media Marketing. If you can prove that not only do you have an insider’s perspective on the technology, but also that you can back up your claims with compelling usage statistics, you’re two-thirds on your way to selling your idea.

Show a great campaign…especially if it’s by a competitive brand

Finally, it can be beneficial to show another company who is currently leveraging the platform, particularly if they are in the same product category. You don’t want to make your client feel that they’ve lost their chance to make a splash, but it can help put a fire under their butts and make them recognize the opportunity. Even if it’s for a product in a completely different category, it may help to inspire your client and get them excited about the opportunities. Paired with your knowledge of the medium or technology and statistics to support your proposal, this can be a great final selling point.

This is a lot to go through, but it will help set you up to sell the idea that you want to bring to life in these emerging media and technologies. Keep your presentation closely tied to your specified target audience and show how the brand is a natural fit with the medium. These three steps will help ease fears and answer some of the questions that otherwise might get tangled in the idea rather than the medium. From here, you will be free to give your idea the support it needs to sell, and will provide your client with the chance to ride the wave all the way to the top.

Claire Grinton is a brand strategist and writer based in San Francisco. Find more from Claire or contact her at claire[dot]grinton[at]gmail.

Tags: community, Marketing, Social Media, the right way