A Social Media “Love Connection?” Get Real.

Remember the game show “Love Connection?” Host Chuck Woolery brought together singles for a blind date. After the date, the contestants were asked if they had made a “love connection.” If they had they went on a second date, if not, the relationship ended abruptly and often awkwardly.

It was silly fun that was very popular.

But the idea of looking for a love connection is one that shouldn’t be overlooked when interacting with clients through social media marketing. On “Love Connection,” the one characteristic that seemed to matter more than any other for getting a second date was authenticity. The dynamics of social media marketing, getting a second contact, a third and beyond, aren’t much different. And authenticity – in the content and the brand’s “personality” behind it – is just as important now as it was on that television show.

Making a Social Connection

Social media marketing is about making connections with clients and prospects. Your brand is out there with some form of content: a blog, a Facebook page, tweets, forum posts, YouTube or Flickr images – the whole gamut of digital media. Impressions are made on that initial exposure. And like being selected for a date, a successful connection on social media means your intended responds to a post, or shares it with others. Or it could mean sampling and joining an email list. Or it could result in following a link to place an order.

Regardless of how that connection happens, the authenticity of your content is important. It’s probably safe to say that no connection will happen without the prospects’ belief that what they see is what they are going to get.

Getting Real About Authenticity

What do I mean by “authentic” content? It’s content that’s genuine and attracts like minds. Its usefulness fits the readers’ (or viewers’) needs with a tone (a personality) that says you’re genuinely interested in your clients and naturally easy to do business with. It’s content that implies you “get it” in terms of what your clients want, and that time with you (or with your social media) is time well spent.

Remember, too, that the way you make your love connections on social media is different than the way you connect with your clients via traditional marketing.  Before social media - and even before the Internet - traditional marketing ruled. It was braggadocio at its best: the brand boasted about how great it was, how much the client needed it, and how lucky the prospect was to have the company come to his or her rescue. It was one-way communication, with no interaction, and no direct customer input or response. It was about as appealing as a blind date with someone who can only talk about himself, who won’t let you get a word in and doesn’t really care. Yecch!

That kind of bully marketing just won’t fly anymore. You win business by making connections and nurturing those connections over time. It means you’re client-centric, that you understand and respect their values and needs, and you are truly interested in accommodating your clients’ preferences. It means you’re humorous or serious or casual as appropriate.

Sincerity is the Key

Using content that’s genuine and sincere is an excellent way to make those kinds of connections. And when that content reflects the real you at your best, it increases the chances that your first business engagement with the client will lead to more – and more profitable – opportunities to connect.

Does your content honestly reflect “you,” in a way that keeps prospects coming back? It’s easier said than done, especially on a consistent basis. PR Brigade specializes in helping clients find the right message strategy and voice, and then delivering the content that helps make real, lasting “love connections.”

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