Even though social media has come a long way from being “just for teenagers,” there are still companies that feel they don’t have time for it. But how can you not make time for building relationships with your customers?
No, but seriously, how?
I get it. Social media isn’t the easiest thing to analyze. There’s no concrete way to say X number of followers on Twitter = Y number of dollaz. So yeah, it might seem like a waste of energy. Until you think about what social media really is:
Social media is Word of Mouth on steroids.
Word of mouth used to be a slow, but effective, way for businesses to gain customers. Now, it’s super effective and crazy fast, thanks to social media. I mean, come on, who doesn’t have time to connect with existing and potential customers all around the world at lightning speed?
Take, for example, this week’s guest, Erik Qualman. Back in 2009, he created a video about the importance of social media. He launched it quietly on YouTube to see how it would do. After two days, he had thousands of views. Today, his videos have gotten over 10 million views!
That’s right, we’re back this week (after a few weeks out with bronchitis) interviewing Erik Qualman. He’s been called the Digital Dale Carnegie, he holds a Guinness World Record for longest continuous podcast, and, oh yeah, he’s also the second most likable author in the world (next to J.K. Rowling). He’s a smart cat, an all-around good dude, and a social media superhero. So if he says “the return on investment of social media is that your business will still exist in five years,” I’m inclined to believe him, and you should too.
Erik has his personal phone number on his business’s website. Why? Because he practices what he preaches: social media is all about relationships. It’s all about making it as easy as possible for customers (and potential customers) to connect with you. So he’s making it as easy as possible for people to connect with him in whatever way suits them best.
Sigh. If only everyone kept their customers in mind the way Erik does. Get into Erik’s head in this podcast. You need to dig it.
Listen Now: [powerpress]
