Social Networking – effective when “on & offline” work together.

When I speak with start-up entrepreneurs and at business groups I am always amazed that so many intelligent business people hold onto the illusion that, “If I build it, they will come.”

Don’t get me wrong here… the occasional lead can be generated by an excellent tweet or someone’s random search on Google, but I think (deep down) most of us realise these are happy, but infrequent events.

And that’s why I don’t believe that online social networking is a new way of promoting your goods/services – it’s just the old way facilitated by new technology.

If you are unprepared to share your knowledge, help people out and put your own ideas “out there” then you’re just wasting your own time. Selling has always been about reassuring people that you are the best course for resolving some, or all, of their business challenges.

So here’s the Top 11 from my perspective:

1. Focus hard on “who” you want to network with and “why”.
2. Establish where these people gather and get in there.
3. Be prepared to talk on the phone and meet too.
4. But don’t be scared to work globally and virtually either.
5. Remember, a purchase order is not a piece of paper – it’s a transfer of trust.
6. Be ready with additional information when asked, e.g. PDF brochures, testimonials, case studies, etc.
7. Have a LinkedIn or Plaxo account (or both) and use them.
8. Honour your followers, friends and recipients, i.e. succinct, useful information.
9. Keep “fun” networking (i.e. friends) and “business” networking separate wherever possible.
10. Look for complementary contacts where you can help one another generate sales or improve mutual propositions.
11. Be consistent.

All sounds like basic common sense doesn’t it? But I continually shock myself at how bad I am at actually doing it.

Is Twitter, YouTube and Facebook the New Sales Trinity?

I’m beginning to notice a peculiar social networking phenomenon. My interest in hearing what global brands have to say for themselves is diminishing… and quite fast too.

It’s not that I’ve lost my desire for knowing about new products, (unfortunately, that’s the bane of a gadget & media maniac), but how I go about getting the “knowing” that’s changed.

I don’t want their hype, their sales trickery or their commercials interrupting my nine o’clock film (unless, of course, their commercials are really cool!). No, I just want the facts and excellent product images represented on an out-of-this-world website.

And now I want something else that they can’t do…

I want the opinions of everyday people who have already bought the product. I want the down and dirty on the delayed deliveries, the faulty functionality and the abysmal customer service. And what do my friends think? What do my followers say? What reviews are available on expert sites? Only then, when I’m totally satisfied, does a product make it onto my Amazon Wish List.

This can and will be very scary for the big brands. The voice of the customer is the new marketing department, but for those that listen it will lead the way to better products and improved customer realtionships.

Henry Ford once said, “People can have the Model T in any colour, as long as it’s black.”

How out of touch he would be with the online world of today.

Lead a horse to water AND make it drink!

I love my customers – don’t you? But sometimes, just like a parent, you have to enforce a little discipline.

Like children, they can become easily distracted. They start focussing on the wrong things (think they know better) and before you know it innovation and performance starts to lag. There is nothing worse than conducting an SN strategy meeting (where everyone leaves fired-up and totally bought-in) only to return later and find that nothing has been done.

Customers – With Social Networking, realisations are not accomplishments. You have to act upon your own realisations (and the concepts of your agency) and get stuff actioned quick – it’s going to take time, a few late nights and, maybe, some extra expense, but if you don’t test ideas how will you ever KNOW what works?

It’s simple really, trust your agency – assume they know what they’re talking about until proven otherwise. Don’t block their input or their suggestions – you’ve hired them for a cold objective eye.

And go with your instincts too. The human race still recognises honesty. I think.

Appointing an agency when you have no intention of taking their suggestions is like buying a dog when you want to bark yourself – it’s counter-productive.

Agencies – realise that many of your customers have actually built successful businesses without you. Be prepared to offer solid examples and data on why and where social networking works. Otherwise it’s just so much smoke and mirrors – the result – an increasing number of innoculised businesses will become resistant to hiring us.

For customers and agencies: (KISS)

(1) Communicate expectations with each other

(2) Identify vehicles and test small

(3) Build on results and widen engagement points

Apply this and you will both drink the waters of  success without shooting yourselves in the foot.