Whenever a social media platform
like Facebook or Twitter
goes down,
someone will post
a rant
about how we’re pathetic
if we can’t go a day
without that social media platform.
The person assumes
we’re using
the social media platform
as he likely is
– to look at cat photos
and share memes.
He doesn’t realize
people are running businesses
on the social media platforms,
that it is the only means
of communication for some people,
that updates on important events
often occur on social media,
that people are waiting
to hear about jobs
via social media.
Our customers use
our products differently,
often in ways
we would never imagine.
I have a reader
who is using my Romance Novels
as part of study
on how the mood of entertainment
reflects or doesn’t reflect
the mood of the real world.
I have another reader
who bought one of my books
because it had a certain cover model
on the cover.
As far as I know,
she hasn’t read the book.
She bought it only for the cover
so she can display it
on her devices.
Someone is using
your products
in ways
you would have never imagined
they could be used.
On customer surveys,
consider asking
how they are using
your products.
That might be a market
you could explore.