Build Relationships With Social Media
July 17th, 2010
As a business marketing tool, you’ll only get out of social networking what you put into it. If you only put a few minutes per day into your social networking efforts and aren’t particularly invested in the platform, you won’t get a lot of return. However, if you put a genuine effort into your social networking, and work to help your associates and contacts, you can get a real return on your investment. One of the best ways to succeed via social networking is to become a great relationship builder.
Building Connections Helps the Relationship Bank Account
Building connections among your social networking community puts a lot into your relationship bank account. You might connect two people who would be great for one another because of a business venture or shared interest, and that might have no direct impact at all on your business. But both of those people will appreciate you connecting them, and that puts a lot into your relationship bank account. The next time one of those people sees something they can do for you, they will, and that can make a great difference to your business.
The Secret to Relationship Building
Relationship building is about paying attention to what people say and do, what they have to offer and what they’re looking for. If you know that John owns a plumbing business and Sally had a pipe burst, you can connect John and Sally and they both benefit. Sally gets her pipe fixed, and John gets some business. They’re both grateful for you because they both benefited, and if they can do something to help you or your business, they’ve got a personal reason to do it.
You don’t just have to connect people who have overlapping niches or a business interest in one another. You can also connect people who have something in common faith-wise, or family-wise; people who have shared interests but don’t know one another. This helps them because it gives them someone else who shares their interest, and it also makes them like you more because you paid attention and noticed this about them. Again, this puts a lot of money in the relationship bank account, even if it doesn’t impact you directly.
To practice good relationship-building skills, try introducing at least four people per day to one another via Twitter or some other social networking platform. If the connection is helpful to them, it puts a lot into the relationship bank account in terms of gratitude to you for connecting them. Even if the connection isn’t helpful, people will appreciate the effort and it will put some money into the relationship bank account because you went out of your way to make an effort on their behalf.
Relationship-building doesn’t have to be a monumental effort. You can do it via Twitter or another social networking platform. All you have to do is pay attention to what people say, and match people who have similar interests or might benefit from knowing one another. It’s a simple process that can yield big benefits for you and your business.
Bernadette Doyle specializes in helping entrepreneurs attract a steady stream of ideal clients. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, sign up for her free weekly e-zine at http://www.clientmagnets.com
Tweet
Posted in 
Tags:
[...] Client Magnets Official Blog, Bernadette Doyle disclosed “The Secret to Relationship Building“: Relationship building is about paying attention to what people say and do, what they have [...]
Thanks, Bernadette, for your excellent explanation of relationship building. You said it so well that I just had to quote a large chunk of your post on my blog about Social Media Relationships, http://RelatingOnline.com. One thing many people neglect is continuing to nurture their relationship “rose garden.” As you say, it is like an emotional bank account, and it is wise to make deposits before the unexpected need to withdraw in an “emergency.”
[...] If you’d like to read the article Buddy is referring to — Build Relationships With Social Media — click here. [...]