Bear with me on this one…I floated the analogy with a group of marketers at NVIDIA and they laughed, but also loved it. It helps show the difference between traditional and social media marketing. And, also helps create a litmus test for whether or not a specific action/campaign/activity would work well in a social media program.
Think about it, there are a lot of parallels between trying to build a community, and trying to find a mate or sustaining a healthy relationship. There is a small caveat, in the social media scenario companies are looking for many serious relationships, whereas the individual (for the most part) is just looking for one. A little plural marriage ain’t no big thang, right?
I digress. So here is a short list of commonalities…feel free to add any more you see in the comments, below:
- You need to profile your match. Figure out what that person is into. Where that person hangs out.
- Go to where your potential match hangs out. Become a regular there. Get to know the locals.
- When you meet someone with potential, you have to listen and get to know them. Can’t spend the whole time just talking about yourself. That would be rude.
- Open yourself up. While you’re getting to know the other person, you have to open the vest a little and let them get to know you too. Not just what you do and where you live, but the quirky fun things, too.
- Ask about their day.
- Address issues and fights promptly, don’t ignore them or let them fester. Admit when you’re wrong. Try to make it right.
- Be consistent, but not suffocating. Stay in touch regularly, keep yourself top of mind. But, you don’t need to share every little thing. Just the stuff you think they’d like.
So that’s a start. Keeping this analogy in mind while you’re doing social media…I think it will help 🙂
Shanee Ben-Zur 