image by Ernst Vikne
Some of you come to me after trying to launch a new blog, or signing up for Twitter. You know that everyone’s talking about it like it’s some great thing, but you’re not seeing results. I’ll ask how you were using the tools, and I usually get something like, “I was sending out timed daily updates to let everyone know what was going on with my business.”
That’s usually when I put my put my hand over the phone, grind my teeth, and heave a huge sigh. Then I put on a smile and ask you to continue.
I’m grinding my teeth because you’re treating Twitter & blogging like you would treat TV, radio, or the newspaper. You set a message and forget about it, only counting whether or not you got leads from it. The problem, of course, is that social media doesn’t work that way.
It’s not about you anymore. Not that it ever really was.
The thing you have to realize is that your customers have a million options. You’re not the only service provider out there, and even if you are, they can probably get by with someone who does what you do on the side. They don’t care about your message, they only care about what they want – and that’s why using social media is important. You can use social media to get a strong understanding of what your customers want, where they want it, and how they look for it. It’s like doing surveys, but cheaper and it updates in real time.
If you understand what your customers are looking for, then you can formulate a relationship with them, and creating a relationship is far more powerful than pitching a sale.
Jeremiah Owyang shared this set of slides about how social media should be engaged in this way, with a great case study on how to engage mothers.
I maintain that social media is the best thing that ever happened to artists, startups, and unique businesses. Without a ton of capital you can engage with an audience who has a need or desire for what you want, and build tremendous word-of-mouth advertising.
If you’d like to work with me to engage with people in social media and turn them into clients, visit this page.
I’d like to hear about your experiences. What successes (or failures) have you had in social media?
