Who says Facebook friends aren’t real friends?
They enjoy seeing you online every day
Miss you when you’re not there
Send condolences when you lose a loved one
Send you wishes on your birthday
Enjoy the photos you post
Put a smile on your face when you’re down
Make you laugh when you feel like crying
Pray for you
Re-post if you are grateful for your Facebook friends!
I saw this posted on Facebook and while it definitely pertains to personal connections, in many ways it also pertains to business communications.
Any individual or business who is using Facebook as part of their marketing efforts must keep one thing in mind: they are connecting with real live, actual people…not customers, clients, constituents, target markets and so on. It’s a PERSON reading the posts and on Facebook, people respond best when relationships are developed and cultivated.
It’s easy to forget this, especially when we connect with so many people. We tend to post and post, and often don’t take the time to determine what it is that people want from us, why they want it and how to provide that to them.
This has been on my mind a lot because I found out that one of my friends is very seriously ill. This person almost always responds to my posts and is very supportive of what I do, including telling her friends about it. Even after I knew how ill she was, she took the time to send me supportive messages when I was having a bad day. We often chat online and I’m amazed at her grace and I’m glad she’s my friend.
She’s one of my biggest cheerleaders, both personally and professionally—and I’ve never met her in person. We’re only Facebook Friends.
I tell this story because it truly shows the importance of nurturing the relationships we have with our online connections. Whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ or the plethora of other social media sites, you never know when a “random” online connection may be the best one. Don’t ever discount someone because they are just family, a high school classmate, neighbor or someone you’ve never actually met—you never know when they could use your services and more importantly, you don’t know who they are connected to.
Social media gives us the opportunity to promote ourselves in distant cities, countries and even continents. We can expand our reach farther than we ever thought possible.
However, don’t fall into the habit of “hiding” behind your computer screen. Get out and MEET your online connections! I had Grandma Mary, the Social Media Edutainer (aka Andrea Vahl) on my radio program and one of her biggest pet peeves is that we don’t socialize in person enough!
Take the time to meet those you’re connected with. It doesn’t have to be one-on-one—there are many opportunities to attend the same networking and social events. You can also Skype…or if you’re on Google+, you could Hangout with several at once!
What do you think? Has social media made us more…or less…social? Please comment below!
I agree!!!! Great story of how people can impact people in so many ways – there is not one form that we have to follow. Check my latest post – Friendship is a Verb. Other posts include Communication is a Verb and Relationship is a Verb.
Rich
Thanks! And, I just subscribed to get your blog. Nice!
Great points, Deb. We often forget that there are real people out in cyber-land and when we converse and engage, we are building relationships. After all, you and I met through Twitter!
Rich — I will check out your blog. Great post title!
Lida
I think one of the problems is we get caught up in “quantity” when we should be worrying more about “quality.” One of the greatest things is starting with an online relationship, then taking it into the real world!
Actually every since I joined Facebook, I feel more connected than ever. It is a great experience, but like with anything else, it must be nurtured. Not only have a met amazing people via Facebook, I still continue to receive leads, gigs, opportunities.
BTW, I’ll also check Rich’s blog. Sounds interesting.
Elizabeth
It really is all about nurturing. If you treat someone well – whether online or off – then they will treat you well, too…and be more than happy to provide referrals and business connections!