People do business with people they like. And if they are your friend, that is even better. This is one of the benefits of social media.
Any yet we see businesses running out to buy Facebook fans, running to add as many followers to their social media applications and running for the quick fix.
After all, they know they have to be on social media and numbers matter. Well who told them they had to be on social media and that numbers matter?
If businesses don’t have a plan for being on social media, why are they there? Social media can take a lot of work if you don’t have a strategy.
And adding numbers to social media applications; don’t get me going. People are people and they are not numbers. If I have learned anything about social media, it is this: a business needs to treat people like people. They must build relationships.
If you are going to play the numbers game, then you are going to treat people as numbers. I won’t be there with you. There are so many great people out there that I can engage in a conversation, that could maybe one day lead into business.
Friends are the real benefit of social media. If you focus on building friendships and relationships along the social media highway, you will always have people to help you out and promote you when you need them. I am seeing this now with the Best in Colchester Business Awards. Friends from all around the world are voting for Alpha Computer. I appreciate all they have done for me.
So when you are tempted to see someone as a number, step back, and see them for what they really are; a friend, who may one day do business with you. Focus on the friendship and be a help to them. What comes around, goes around. You will end up with a greater network of people in the end. They will be responsive to your words because you took the time for them in the first place.
