The way in which a company goes about marketing itself and maintaining a good name is changing, as companies start to realize the power of the voice of the people. Listening to them is one thing, but having a two-way conversation is the next step in building strong relationships with your community.
Common Thread
Whether one talks about PR, brands or communities there is a common thread that is relationships. The key to a good relationship is conversation that is more than one way. To quote from an earlier post:
Have you ever been on a date with someone who only talked about themselves? Did you ever get to a second date?
Be Real
Building these relationships through two-way dialog adds personability to your brand presence, taking you from being just another corporate voice to a real human being. A presence that understands that trying to “sell” all the time is not what the end user wants. A presence that knows their audience and can be present in the end users life; wherever, whenever and in whatever way that matters to them.
But why do you want these relationships?
The world is changing. Social Media has been flooded by companies or brands desperate for fans or followers.
As a consequence fans or followers turn off from their advertising. I have “liked” many products and companies on Facebook, but I have never seen them in my stream – partially due to EdgeRank, and partially due to the fact that I make sure that their content doesn’t appear too frequently. There are exceptions of course, but this is usually because they have something interesting to say.
Why you should want relationships
If a company has something interesting to say, not necessarily about their product, they will be in your mind for positive reasons. This is what ensures that, at whatever point you are in a consideration phase for a related product or service, the company that has already established a presence in your life will be at the forefront.
Social Media is not a short term fix – it’s here for the long tail. If you want to find out more about how you can measure your relationships, check out EzyInsights for early access and information.