If I tell my facebook friends

“If I tell my Facebook friends about your brand, it’s not because I like your brand, but rather because I like my friends.”

Everywhere you look, you hear about social media. Social media this, social media that. But it is nothing new. Some form of digital communication has always been present since the advent of the computer network in 1971.

When I launched my first BBS (Bulletin Board System) in 1992, that was my social media! I was able to connect with users and share content with them. 10 years later, I had a .com portal which allowed folks to email, chat, discuss, share opinions, files and listen to live radio. But it almost needed a PhD in astrophysics to work it all.

Fast forward to today, Social platforms are simpler but the essence has remained the same.  Humans like to connect with each other. The connection fulfills our desires to listen & learn, to be heard, to connect and to form a mutually beneficial relationship. At the same time, we disconnect or filter out the noise when we can’t benefit from the relationship.

How many times have you changed the channel because an ad came up during your favorite show? A recent study indicated that 40% of consumers like to connect with brands on Facebook, however, they also found out that they only connect to get exclusives – special offers, discounts, inside scoop and to converse with ‘humans’ behind the brand. It works to form a beneficial relationship, for the brand and for the consumer.

Merely having a presence on social networks will not form any relationships. There needs to be a two-way dialogue to form a relationship. Someone speaks and someone listens. That’s attention.

As marketing professionals, are we able to gain attention from our audience? Can we leverage our relationships to drive our campaigns? Just like in real life, relationships take effort to become strong. Are we making our relationships stronger?