We talk a lot about having a conversation in social media marketing. But what does that really mean? Some business owners want to sell products the way they were taught before the advent of Facebook and Twitter. They don’t understand why their customers now want to have a conversation with them and they don’t grasp what that conversation should be about. Unable to see how the customer experience has evolved into something more meaningful, their experiments with social media fall flat. Then the complaining starts: “Facebook just doesn’t work for me” or “Nobody follows me on Twitter”. So, what is this mysterious “conversation” we keep talking about? What does the term “engagement” really mean? What does this sound like?

Well, it doesn’t sound like the traditional customer service script. It’s the difference between, “Hi. Let me know if I can help you find something” and “Hey, it’s great to see you. Guess what we’re working on today? What do you think about it?”

It’s an actual conversation. It’s about tossing the traditional customer service lingo and letting people talk with a real person. That doesn’t mean we should be giving customers detailed personal information. They don’t really want that. They want to feel that they are talking with someone who isn’t reciting from a set of rehearsed responses. That sounds fake. And you can’t fake your social media marketing because it’s about forging relationships.

When a business owner has success using social media, she is friendly without being forced. She brings her knowledge and passion about her business into her Facebook and Twitter interactions. She isn’t talking at customers; she is talking with supporters, listening and answering questions or concerns with humor and thoughtfulness. If the comments are positive, she takes the time to acknowledge them and say thank you. If the comments are negative, she isn’t defensive, she takes the time to ask questions and discover what isn’t working and how she can create a positive resolution.

That’s what we mean when we talk about engagement; it’s the core of the conversation. And the conversation is about building sustainable relationships with people who support our business and thus, our family and lifestyle. If you don’t want your customers to get to know the story of you and your business, and you don’t care if they support you, then social media marketing is not for you. But if you do want those conversations, those sustainable connections, those relationships which small businesses thrive on, then come on in.

Pull up a chair and tell us a little bit about why you do what you do. We’re all ears.
– Mike Wolpert 🙂