If the Internet didn’t exist (ooo relief I hear many say!), would you have put your networking into the same bucket as your marketing?
No, I hear you say, one is about making friends and building people around you, your networking is part of your sanity, your support, your ideas, your conversation. The other was about building a brand that is recognised and draws people toward you, your PR, brochure for leaflet drops, your advert in the local paper.
The rise of Social Media has confused many people, I have watched it happen to thousands of people over the last 2 years. I can only think that because both social networking and social media are being conducted online with the use of technical tools and software people think they can do one thing for all of their needs.
Take a deep breath now and sit back in your chair, look at what you are doing and ask yourself these questions:
1. How many people are in my network? Twitter, Ecademy, LinkedIn, FaceBook?
2. How do I reach out to these people? Using YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare, Twitter Updates, Ecademy Blogs, my own Blogs
3. When I reach them with my marketing – my social media noise (as above) – how many come back to me and start a conversation with me?
4. Am I actually just Broadcasting through Social Media or have I created a way for people to talk to me?
5. How many people am I actually talking to , sharing thoughts, ideas, passing opportunitoes to, receiving opportunities from… etc
If you are purely making a noise then you are marketing yourself, the jewels out there are the people who want to find you and then talk to you. These are the people that want you to move from marketing to them to talking to them. Remember Seth Godin ‘turn strangers into friends and friends into customers‘.
I wrote this Blog called ‘Are you still talking?‘ on the 21st March – this Blog includes some of my latest thought on the matter.
Be honest with yourself in your self analysis
1. Are you making a noise (using social media) that is helping you and your business grow?
2. Is the noise you are making what people want to hear?
3. Do they talk back to you? (social networking)
4. If they don’t talk back then spend time thinking about your strategy…
…… perhaps you are not giving them the method of talking to you. Imagine writing a brilliant article in a newspaper or running the most fantastic advertising campaign and leaving no method of the audience contacting you – now that would be insane!!!!
Always leave a method for people to find you, add your Twitter Name, your link to your social networking home, your email – something that allows them to easily contact you and then starting talking, sharing and make friends with them.
I would love to hear how people are combining their Social Media (broadcasting) with their Social Networking (talking)….
Warm regards
Penny Power
+447771 543478
Founder-Ecademy
Supporting Business People
