December 16, 2011

If you read business articles, you've seen the enthusiasm about using social media. Probably 99 percent of magazine articles, blogs and commentaries insist that you need to be on social media. But before you throw your efforts into building a buzz on the social media bandwagon, you may want to re-think your efforts.

Too many people are launching social media efforts instead of using good old-fashioned networking. (Remember, when we used to meet people face to face and shake hands?) Going completely digital and bypassing face time is detrimental to your business for a number of reasons.

• All that social media makes you feel bad about yourself. Check out the majority of posts on Twitter and Facebook, and you’ll see that they are overwhelmingly positive. Nobody wants to share their misery with their audience. So post after post is a celebration. Reading all those amazing things can make you feel as if you aren’t keeping up. So recognize that social media is not a representation of reality. Read it less and you will feel better about yourself.

• It’s easy, but is that a good thing? Many people, perhaps even you, feel that communication on social media is just as good as—or perhaps even better than—being face to face. After all, it’s fast, it’s direct, it’s easy. Sure, it requires less effort on everyone’s part, but is that necessarily a positive? If your competitor meets with that client that you’ve been pursuing on Twitter face to face, they have a major advantage. Real people are trusted more than electronics. And your Twitter pal could be a spammer who is actually trying to sell you something.

• You lose efficiency. You may think you’re saving time by using social media sites, but they can be addicting. Before you know it, an hour has gone by and your productivity tanks. I’ll bet you are most productive when no one distracts you and your e-mail is turned off. It isn’t much of a stretch to see that fewer distractions occurring less frequently result in more productivity. Social media, with its constant stream of updates, kills efficiency and productivity.

• Relationships get shorter and shorter. Social media is great for building an instant relationship, albeit a shallow one. But to communicate with more and more people, your connections become more and more shallow. Deep relationships that are long-term and trusting are the foundation of a great business. Social medial alone might be a quick way to build a house of cards, but it is a house of cards, nonetheless.

All the social media in the world can never replace simply meeting someone face to face and having a conversation. Social media lacks the depth of real meetings. Through social media, everyone is a screen name, so relationships stay distant. That makes it challenging to move them forward so they can flourish.

When you opt for a real networking opportunity, you have a chance to get to know someone and make a connection. Those connections are bonding and will help your business to thrive. Get back to the basics of looking people in the eye, and see how much better you and your prospects feel as a result.

Join the conversation ( 12 )

• Kevin Morrison 1 months ago

  

  I have been developing social presents for client at the rate of 20 a month and not one of them has complained about their productivity tanking.
  
  "DEEP RELATIONSHIPS"? Really?? We are talking about small business correct? *** does a deep relationship have to do with getting in touch with their customers and potential customers. I highly doubt anyone is replacing direct contact for FaceBook and if they are, they deserve to be a failure! Put this in perspective Mike and do some homework before you go making a fool out of yourself!

• Anna Butler 2 months ago

  

  As a sole operator based in rural South Australia, social media IS my "face-to-face". I have clients around the country and even overseas that I would never have had the opportunity to network with in the traditional sense - much less converted to clients.
  
  In fact, my online efforts have been far more successful than my "real life" networking. I've picked up far more work from my online business group than the one I meet with every other Friday. The beauty of it is, I don't have to spend time travelling, I don't have to pay membership fees, and because conversations are online anyone can follow or join in - not just the immediate few I've been speaking to as in a "real life" conversation.
  
  I've also built some fantastic, solid relationships with people I've met in my social media streams. People who have become fantastic advocates for my business, but people I'd love to meet in the flesh should the opportunity arise (and some I already have).
  
  If you're only using social media as a marketing avenue, or as a means to validate yourself, of course you won't reap the full benefits. At the end of the day, as with anything, you get out what you put in.

  • Christopher Frey 1 months ago

    

    Your experience sounds fantastic, in what kind of business are you in Anna ? This will help me understand your success ! wish you all the the best !
    
    Christopher Frey

• crystal bern1 2 months ago

  

  At Magicbuz we believe that mingling face to face with like minded social media people & prospective customers is just as important as blogging, twittering, etc.. You can make far more sincere and deep relationships in business by meeting people as you can feel a vibe or energy that can't be felt on cyber media. Sometimes people just click and you can take advantage of such a great bond between people in business.

  • Mike Michalowicz 2 months ago

    

    Face to face, all the way!

• marcy nairn 2 months ago

  

  You are quite right about social media being shallow. There is no replacement for actual contact between human beings. Social media, however, provides an excellent way to get in contact with a lot more people, but it is not a rock upon which you can build

  • Mike Michalowicz 2 months ago

    

    Marcy - Yes and yes. Social media is a great door opener (for now). Maybe it will evolve, maybe it will be better.... but I just can't yet imagine anything replacing the human experience of face to face. Maybe it is coming... but I kinda hope it doesn't.

• Jacob Lepiarz 2 months ago

  

  Totally agree that building real world relationships is absolutely essential. But as a marketer, I think avoiding the opportunities social media presents for your business is a big miss! It's where people spend much of their time online now days. If your not there you can almost guarantee your competition will be. Participating in social media doesn't mean not doing other things that have always work. For most companies though, not having a presence in social media could very well kill your business. Probably not today, but perhaps five or ten years down the line.

• Drewry News Network 2 months ago

  

  OPENForum,
  
  
  you are absolutely right when you talked about "people not wanting to share their misery" on social networks. They're things that I personally go through, and do not want to share negative energy with others online, as I can relate to that statement made.yes, social media can become quite addictive. However, when you use it for business, it helps to increase your $ gUaP $ potential, in earning more of it :-)
  
  http://www.DrewryMedia.com
  
  http://www.DrewryNewsNetwork.com

• Volusion 2 months ago

  

  Great points here. The key is to use a healthy mix of all forms of networking. Never completely abandon the old, while still embracing the new. Small business owners can especially take note here as many of those face-to-face personal relationships can often build some of their most important customers. Thanks for the great read!
  
  Lauren at Volusion
  www.volusion.com

  • Mike Michalowicz 2 months ago

    

    First of all, I must say I am a big fan of Volusion. I few companies that I work with closely are all on the Volusion platform. Second... yes Face to Face!

  • Drewry News Network 2 months ago

    

    Volusion,
    
    Very true about building the "face to face relationships". When striving to market effectively, a businessperson has to consider taking all approaches to increasing awareness of their brand, using both social media and old school offline relationship building tactics =)
    
    
    http://www.DrewryNewsNetwork.com