Social Media – Authentic Connective Marketing

Social Media seems to be the buzz word on many lips, yet are people really using social media in the ways it is meant to be used? Truth is many are and many more are not.  Sites like Twitter, Facebook, My Space, Bebo and others are there for communities, groups and individuals to share their lives.

Some marketers seem to have missed the point, these sites are not a place for you to blatantly advertise your product as if you are on the shopping channel, these sites are there to build community, for people to socialise and build relationships. One of the most important things to learn about social media of marketing is that it is all about building relationships, creating and adding value to conversations and it is SOCIAL.

What it is NOT!

Social Media Marketing is not:

* a way to ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ people so that you can post links on their profile or in their group

* a way to advertise your product or service to them in direct messages unless requested

* an excuse to “SPAM” people by sending the same message to all of your ‘friends’ to market your latest and greatest ?

What it IS:

Social Media Marketing is a concept that goes way back to the days when Pops ran the General Store and new all of his customers by name, knew their needs and preferences and could recommend products to them that he knew would help them.

That is the intent at the heart of SMM -

* initiating and building genuine relationships

* adding value to real conversations (without marketing)

* establishing communities

* engaging an audience by telling stories that connect with people in real ways

* getting to know your customer well before recommending anything to them

* treating your potential customer or client like a real friend and treating your virtual and online friends and their profile/s with the same respect you would a ‘real’ friend

* recommend products or services that you know would help them in some way

Does that sound like a tall order?
Does this sound like way too much time and trouble?

Then SMM is NOT for you.

By representing ourselves in authentic ways, and practicing the almost lost art of conversation and story telling we will be representing ourselves as real people who care, not faceless organizations whose bottom line is the bottom line.

The Zen Bull

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