photo by d. sharon pruitt
As more people crowd into the social media space, knowing who’s worth your relationship-building time and who’s a waste of effort becomes more imperative.
I don’t know what your criteria are, but for me making the first cut is pretty simple: Is the person in question social or antisocial?
My definition of sociability is pretty straightforward. Are you open about your identity and transparent in your motives? Do you engage in conversation, share your thoughts and opinions, pass along what you’re finding online and share your knowledge and expertise? Or do you see this as just another opportunity for endless self-promotion and selling?
If it’s the latter, don’t bother me. When I’m interested in what you’re selling I’ll find you. Better still, be of value to me before the sales opportunity and I’ll probably put you on my short list of potential vendors.
Keep in mind that sales and marketing are two distinctly different activities. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” Social media is very much a marketing opportunity; the key is in how you approach it.
There are those who don’t share my opinion re blatant self-promotion. They see nothing wrong with using social media the same way they use traditional media. I’m not going to go into all the ways in which I think that’s just plain shortsighted and stupid. I’ll save that for another post.
For me, being a true creature of social media boils down to the following:
You are identifiable. Your Twitter profile includes your real name, photo and a profile that tells me something about your background and interests. Tweeting on behalf of an organization is fine, but tell me who’s doing the tweeting and what your connection is to the organization. You have a blog where I can learn more about you and what you think. Your LinkedIn profile is rich with details of your background and experience. The same with Facebook and other networking sites.
You are present. By present I mean I can easily find your web site, blog, social media outposts, Google profile, etc. I’m always skeptical about a Twitter user who doesn’t provide a link to a web site, whether it’s a blog, company site or even a LinkedIn profile. Point me to where I can learn more about you or your organization. Point me to some MLM scheme or a site that teaches me how to generate 10,000 Twitter followers in a few days and you’re gone.
You are sociable. You don’t have to be a great conversationalist. Use the tools to make contributions to the conversation, whatever it may be. Share your opinions, point us to resources we might not know about, ask questions, reach out to others who share your interests.
You are honest. If your end game is to sell me something, don’t try to hide it. If you’re making money off links in your posts, don’t hide that, either. We all have to make a living. Deception is a poor foundation for a social network and will ultimately bite you in the end, figuratively and literally.
These are just the basics as far as I’m concerned. Anything less is antisocial media. What do you think?
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{ 3 comments }
I’m surprised at how many people still don’t get many of these points. I tend to stumble in more subtle ways–answering a query but overtly shaping my answer to be self-promoting in a way that feels “off” afterwards. At times like those, I think, “I’m glad I didn’t go to Harvard because then I would be one of those people who mentions it every four minutes.” I’ve learned a lesson this week from a design firm and an advertising agency: their social media presence is about the passion behind the product, not the product. It’s really well done.
Hi Dan, great points! You’d think by now it would be obvious what’s acceptable and what’s not, but I still receive Twitter auto DMs and @replies that are blatantly trying to sell something. In today’s seller-buyer interaction, regardless of whether “the product” is tangible or intangible, it’s all about building a relationship and prioritizing your contacts’ needs above your own. Providing value before “the sale” and possibly unrelated to what you’re selling: Like selfless selling. Auto DMs promoting a website or product before the sender has made a connection feel creepy… and as you say… anti-social!
Hi Michelle. Unfortunately, the hucksters trying to cram their square sales pegs into social media holes are legion. For every professional who gets the long-term value of relationship selling, there are 10 or 20 who just want to make a quick buck. They shoved it down our throats on TV and radio, they shoved it down our throats with direct mail and phone solicitations, and it should come as no surprise that they’re doing it again on the web. All we can do is refuse to do business with them and hope they eventually go away.
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