Social Networking Only Works When It’s Real
You've got thousands of friends on Facebook and have gamed your MySpace plays up to the tens of thousands. But it's not translating into people coming to shows or ordering a t-shirt. Perhaps, as marketing guru Seth Godin suggests, it's because your social networking isn't real.
It's the internet equivalent of "I love ya babe, let's do lunch". Unless your interactions with friends and fans are based in sincerity, the relationship doesn't go anywhere. Sharing a late night rough mix on your blog of a new song that you're excited about let's fans catch a glimpse of you that brings them closer. Your thirteenth weekly email blast announcing that "This is gonna be the biggest party in the history of all parties at our regular Tuesday night gig at the Pizza Palace" probably annoys more than it entices.
In this short video, Godin reminds us that social networking is always important when it’s real and a useless distraction when it’s not.
I love the fact that social media, as well as online presense in general is going back to the Golden Rule, “treat others the way you want to be treated,” it’s as if bad behavior is no longer acceptable. Being kind and polite is the way to win! And the funny thing is, people are paying tons of money, just to hear Seth Godin, tell them, they need to be real…..have we all turned into such robots?
Seth is great, but I do think also saying ‘hi lets have lunch’ to a wider audience, also drives traffic to your website or product. You’ll always have die hard fans that use your service and those that just pass by.
It’s not enough to make initial contact. You need to Develop relationships with your friends, followers, and fans. Continuing to communicate giving value, entertainment and plain being a mensch (as my Grandma would say) deepens your relationship from a “hey, how are ya” in passing – to actually making an impact in their lives. Enough of an impact that they want to take you home with them (or your songs and merch).
It’s not about sales and marketing. It’s about connecting in a real and human way. It’s about relationships.
Using Twitter as an example, I think some followers just follow for the sake of following. Or perhaps they like you as a person, but not your company (if you post mix personal and business tweets). I don’t think they will ever by your product or service no matter what you do. I would love to believe otherwise, that every single one of them are a potential customer, but it’s probably only some percentage that will ever actually buy.