While some debate whether Twitter is a time-waster, or why bother posting on Facebook, one notion remains clear: Social media resonates powerfully with how we live now. So much so, it’s as though this tool fills a void, prompting the question: What did we do pre-social media, and why do we flock to these sites?
As our world developed primarily into an impersonal one wrought with automated systems and big box stores, we gravitated toward an anonymous society, having few reasons to engage in conversation the way our parents did. There seemed little need for dialog. We never conversed with the neighborhood teller thanks to the ATM, and stopped chatting with grocery cashiers, once self-checkout lanes became popular. ? ?With such an autonomous culture, we were clueless as to what made our colleagues and acquaintances tick. And we hardly minded. Still, our alienation grew even more pronounced in the last year or so, as employers cut jobs, and people, forced from their cubicles, were relegated to their personal computers and scrambled to find new work, or became consultants from home offices. The camaraderie we enjoyed at the office was gone. Clearly, our opportunity – and some might argue, our ability – to connect had eroded. ? ?Social media essentially replaces what modern society and difficult economic times wiped out: That personal touch, that water-cooler banter, that closeness that develops among people who see each other regularly. In updating our statuses and leaving comments, we now reclaim the tools to connect as if we live in a small, electronic village.
In some ways, we are returning to a time and place that is pre-automation and even pre-automobile. Through posting comments and status updates, we are learning about each other as past generations did, when they frequented the corner store, knowing the owners and customers, and their histories and interests.
Those who understand social media really get it and engage their community. However, there are many who still don’t get it. Here are some tips to help you make social media work for you and your clients:
• Use the one in five rule – Try to only promote your product or service only once. The rest of the time, send personal updates, retweet updates from others or find relevant articles or youtube videos to recirculate.
• Engage Engage Engage! – Try to get your community talking either to you or to each other. Send posts that get people thinking and reacting!
• Don’t Sell – There is nothing worse then receiving posts that sell and turn people away. (How many people want to be friends with a traveling shoe salesman?) There are ways to talk about your product or service that don’t necessarily have to sell.
• Offer Advice from Others – If you see a post or an article that you think is worthwhile to send your community, send it.
• Don’t be Afraid to Circulate Competitor Info – Sometimes your competitors have interesting case studies or have written articles that you think your community can benefit from, circulate it around. It will make you look secure and give you an edge.
Social media allows us that personal connection. Its very nature is relationship building, and it is anything but a waste of time, especially in business. In starting dialogs, communicating our news, posting thoughtful ideas, and establishing common ground, we bring value to the conversation, and show we care. ? ?And by caring, we get beyond the superficial level. We get to know the people in our communities – our partners, our customers – and respond to their comments and concerns. And that’s why social media resonates: It provides the modern-day tools of effective business relationships.
