Daily Archives: April 4, 2009

This got triggered by Dina‘s tweet today, to which I replied.

So here’s a longer thought for all Marketers who are looking at ways to “use” Social Media:

Please don’t try to “use” social media.

For folks like us, it’s a community – where we hang around and collect and have conversations. Some of those conversations could be about the stuff that you want to sell.

If you want to join us and participate as a member of the community – you’re welcome.

However, if all you want to do is only say “Here’s my product, buy it!” like you do in TV commercials – sorry, you’ll turn us off!

Think of social media in an analogy – in the physical world there are parties we go to. Do you go there as someone who likes to party, or as someone with a ‘marketer hat on’ and looking for “prospects”?

If you go as the latter, I am sure you’re not very successful.

We’ve all seen the sorry looking folks at parties who’s looking to buttonhole you with his visiting cards and sales spiel – with a conversation that’s more about “I” and having very few “you”s.

I’m sure you don’t want to be like that person in the party.

So welcome to social media. Join the conversations on Twitter, Facebook or Blogs. But if all you’re going to do is talk about yourself you’re going to bore us out of our skulls.

Update: I read the party analogy somewhere, but don’t remember where. If you blogged about it…do leave a comment!