A few months ago I was sat in a room listening to David Bullock one of the world’s leading authorities on social networking and who is credited with helping Barrack Obama into the white house. He shared a wealth of information about social media for creating buzz and the unarguable impact. He cited the election of President Obama, the Arab Spring as evidence of the power of social media when used correctly.
Then he dropped a bombshell. “I have to tell you” he said “one big tip for you all here today; get out from behind the computer and build relationships face to face” You could almost see the crowd in unison say “yeah, you’re joking right”. Of course he wasn’t joking and any true expert in the power of referral marketing will tell you the same. Human beings are fundamentally relational creatures. Whether our relationships are one to one, or in groups, we still need to connect.
On the whole social media is a first “touch” hence it generates word of mouth and knowledge of you and your brand. However, it does little to really build “credibility” for expensive or truly important products. If someone is looking to utilize social media to sell an internet marketing product then they may very well sell an item for 30 or 40$ but would you really want to go on line for a doctor if your kid was ill or would you ask a friend?
Online and offline networking go hand in hand. They are not a “one or the other” option, you need both and you need a strategy. How well have you planned yours?
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