Social Media is all About Building Relationships

Most businesses make the error of treating social media as a selling platform.  They tell you how good they are and why you should buy from them.  The reality is that most individuals are tired of being sold to.  And being sold to on social media is a short way to lose your audience.

If you take the example of networking, how many times have you met that annoying individual at a networking event who constantly sells you their product or service?  This is not only off putting, you are unlikely to do business with that person.  Just as networking is ‘relationship building’ so too is social media.  Just because it is online doesn’t mean you aren’t interacting.  The technology allows us the possibility to form connections.  It is the perfect opportunity to build relationships, have conversations, listen and offer valuable content.

The importance of relationship building although widely discussed is often undervalued.  Skills and expertise are more extensively acclaimed.  However, effective relationship building is one of the most crucial ingredients in business success.  With the growth of social media creating modern ways to interact in the business world, those businesses that acknowledge and understand this notion will most likely have the greatest success.

When relationship building on social media it is important to remember some of the following principles:

People do Business with People they Know, Like, and Trust

Relationship building is the cornerstone of any business.  Individuals will only do business with you once they have come to know you and trust you.  Social media is another avenue to network so it’s important to use it appropriately.

Knowing it All

There is nothing worse than endeavouring to build a relationship with someone who believes they know everything.  No business knows everything so come across as the expert who knows there is always more to learn and explore.

Get your Audience Involved

Great businesses know social media is about conversation.  So be sure to involve your audience – ask for feedback, ask questions and get them involved.  Provide meaningful content that is informative and interesting.  This demonstrates that you are interested in what they think and are willing to meet their needs. 

Social media strategies that focus on creating and building strong relationships with their communities will have strong networks of people in the long run.  On social media, building relationships is about listening, taking part in the conversation but not trying to control it.  There is no magic formula or one fits-all approach.  Each business is different and needs to work out what will work for them.  However, if your business is genuine about engaging in conversation then relationship building will be much easier.

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Tags: Building Relationships on Social Media • Social Engagment • social Media