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Social Media and You Written by Anne Bingham on December 12, 2008
A Couple of Chicks e-marketing helps you to think of social media in terms of relationships
It's no surprise that we get a lot of questions about these days â€" namely "How can I get in on it?" To figure this out, you must be clear about your goals and your audience and be honest about your ability to commit.
Wipe marketing from your mind for a moment, and think of social media in terms of relationships. If you don't interact, occasionally calling up your friends or going out for drinks, then your relationships are static and eventually they quit inviting you. The opposite works too....if you overdo it, they'll run. But, if you are thoughtful and nurture your relationships, they thrive. It is a basic premise, but one that is often forgotten for the sake of getting in on a marketing trend.
In order to use successfully for marketing, you must first accept that you do not control the conversation. You may influence it, but this is not a medium for brand control freaks. Second, assess your level of commitment. Are you casually dating or getting married? If you're not into commitment, then serious social media campaigns aren't for you. You have to marry Facebook if you're going to do anything more than run ads. If you just want to go out to dinner occasionally, then you might consider some limited photo or video optimization campaigns that don't necessarily require a lot of nurturing (but you must have adequate tools, nonetheless).
And here's where "social media and you" stops. Everything from here on out is about your social media better half. Where does your audience hang out and what do they desire in order to stay interested in you? How do they like to communicate? Do they like to talk before coffee or after they've woken up a little bit? Are they willing to have a little fun or do they have limited time and want the basics, on a schedule?
Social media is about starting a dialogue and engaging in a conversation. Think about it as less of a tool and more of a concept. When you're ready to commit and communicate, then you can start thinking about where to get hitched.
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