I work in social media and my parents. of course, do not really understand what I do for a living. Some of my friends envy me: oh, you spend so much time on Facebook, that must be so cool!
Yes, it is. But not for the reasons you might think of. More than 2 years and a half ago someone asked me why, in all advertising subspecies (ATL, BTL, media)I chose social media, one of the newest specialties and one of the most debated. My response (bare in mind, it was my first real job in advertising):
I think you can talk to people about what they’re interested in and be relevant. Maybe even helpful.
Because by engaging them in conversation you can find out more about what motivates them and how, what makes them tick and why. And I still find that fascinating.
After 2 years and a half of managing Facebook pages, writing blog posts for brands and monitoring online conversations, I think I need to revisit that affirmation and develop on it: Social media COULD be about conversations, but also about building trust and a feeling of community. Even if I am just looking for a pizza place I can trust to deliver the perfect cheesy crusty deliciousness I saw a photo of on Facebook. Use social media to show me you CARE about me and maybe, just maybe you’ll become my go-to pizza places in town. Ask me how I like my pizza, entertain me with stories of pizza boys cooking and delivering the product, you thus show me you are human, someone I can relate to and trust. And, if you do deliver every single time, maybe, just maybe, we’ll go steady. I will trust you and recommend you to all my friends.
I will maybe, just maybe, write this on my business card one day:
We want to do business with those who make social media feel less like mass marketing and more like customer service. We seek out those whose influence has grown through CARING FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. (Jay Oatway: Mastering Story, Community and Influence: How to Use Social Media to Become a Socialeader)
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