The Wisdom of Being You in Social Business
Today’s post comes from my friend and fellow Social Solutions Collective member Kerry Armour. It’s all about being you!
Anyone who spends any amount of time at all engaged in social media has likely heard the regularly repeated advice of ‘be real’. You hear every day about the latest must haves and must dos to achieve social business results, some of which don’t seem like a good idea at all. But this one; this one is right on.
Why? Because there is a lot going on out there.
This is social business and it’s all about engagement. It’s a great big, gigantic, online world of posting, tweeting, blogging, and general all around noise making. We have tons of media in our lives that make getting noticed somewhat challenging. However, the one thing you bring to your business that no one else can is you. Your unique voice is one of your best tools in your connection building arsenal.
You and only you know what your passion is. Yes, there are many times you will want and need a marketing professional, but, especially on social media speaking for yourself helps create strong relationships. In a social business setting, a natural tone of voice, easy sharing with a low sales attitude, plus responding to questions is what makes a follower stay a follower. These are the things you can and should do regularly.
Finding your own voice is not easy for some folks, to be honest some people find it downright scary. But, sharing on social platforms isn’t the dreaded public speaking thing. You can compose your thoughts, edit your words, and delete your tweets. In short, you’re in control and you’re not standing in front of a room full of people. Try to write as you would speak. If you’re a wise cracker for real, then go ahead and do that online too. If you love to quote Seinfeld, well then go right ahead and do it! Easy and not too formal is the general rule. Professionalism, yes, but with a natural tone; you’re not trying to ‘get to the close’, you’re trying to engage and connect.
Whatever social media platform you use, be friendly, be helpful, and be yourself. That’s the very best way to grow your connections and be seen and heard in our crazy busy world. To quote a man who knew how to connect better than anyone:
“If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.” Zig Ziglar
______________________________________________________________________________
Kerry Armour has over 20 years of experience as a corporate high tech marketer. She happily moved on from that busy corporate life and formed Millipede Media Group in late 2010. Drawing on those years of big business experience, she now develops and supports social media and brand identity focused content that connects buyers to to the brands they love.
Working with a tribe of her local (Santa Fe, NM) colleagues and the amazing community of the Social Solutions Collective, Kerry brings a wealth of her own and her colleagues experience to each project.
