Connections Are What Make Social Media Marketing So Powerful
I got started with my own business back in 2009, after getting laid off from my PR job during the recession. I was spending days applying for jobs, and I often blogged and tweeted about my life in Sonoma County – which wineries I went to, the experiences I was excited to share with people, and, of course, the food. Always the food.
One day, the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau reached out to me via Twitter asking if I wanted to teach classes on social media marketing for hospitality businesses in Sonoma County. They knew I had a marketing background that specialized in engagement on social media. So, a few months later I taught my very first class on social media. This was in 2009, when social networking was JUST Twitter and Facebook.
The Wild Wild West of Social Media Marketing
Back in 2009, brands on Facebook still had personal profiles as opposed to brand pages, and Twitter was all about 140-character messages tweeted out to the world. Hashtags had just been introduced, and you couldn’t DM someone if they weren’t following you. Marketers weren't really sure why they needed to be on social media. It was hard to see the value of online connections.
The classes I taught for the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau were one-hour classes, simply telling people how to create a Facebook profile page or a Twitter account, and explaining how to connect with anyone online. Most importantly, though, we talked about why it mattered.
I'll say it right now almost exactly how I said it over 10 years ago: social media marketing, first and foremost, is about being SOCIAL. I'm going to continue to say this in all of my blogs, in interviews, any time I speak on the subject.
Because social media marketing is not the Wild Wild West of marketing anymore. It is a dynamic tool for brands to share their story and to connect with their target audience - all with better access to insights than ever before.
From Teaching Social Media Marketing to Wineries to Working in the Wine Industry
After teaching social media classes, I transformed my business into consulting within the wine industry. I was hired by wineries to help train their staff on creating a marketing strategy and posting unique content, or in some cases I was hired internally to manage the winery’s social media marketing efforts.
It was through the connections I made online and in real life, through networking events and speaking engagements, that provided the word of mouth that my business needed to be successful.
I always made it a point to not only get great results for my clients, but to practice what I preached. My social media for my own brand (at @sharayray everywhere) has always been about connections first. Yes, throughout the years Instagram has grown bigger while Twitter and Facebook have become more image- and video-centric. But none of that matters – no pretty picture can outweigh the value of true relationships.
Being “Social” Can Work for Anyone
I am not necessarily an exovert. Yes, I can be comfortable in front of a crowd, but I would rather spend my days cuddled up on the couch with my two dogs and husband, watching a Top Chef marathon. This is an important distinction because I want everybody to know that it doesn't matter if you're an extrovert or an introvert – you can make true connections with people online and offline in order to help your career, or to simply find like-minded people who share the same passions as you.
In fact, now that I’ve moved to the East Bay, I have to start all over and make connections with people who don’t know me. It's definitely an odd feeling. But in the two months I've been here, I've already broken out of my shell and gone to a food-related networking event in San Francisco, and I’ve spoken at two meetups for Bay Area photographers. It only took some research into events in my area and some self-convincing to not just binge Top Chef with my dogs all day.
Action Items for Marketers:
Here are my action items for you if you're looking to create relationships, no matter the reason:
Figure out what your brand passions are. You may already know, or you might be in need of a change. My husband has always met friends through his passion for craft beer, but since we moved, he is looking to connect with people through hiking, group fitness classes, and his technology connections. Write down a few things you are passionate about and why.
After you identify your passions, find people/groups in your area that focus on this. When I moved to the East Bay, I did a search on Instagram for the hashtag #EastBayEats. Under that hashtag were a lot of restaurant pictures giving me ideas for where to eat of course, but also food bloggers and influencers living in the same area as me. I followed them and started to pay attention to their Instagram stories, seeing what types of networking events they were going to. I randomly came across something called the Proof Collective, which is a meetup group of women in the food and restaurant industries in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I found the Instagram handle for that meetup group and RSVPed for the next event they had coming up. I suggest you do the same. Take a leap and go to a networking event, even if you don't know anyone on the list.
Before going to the event, check out some of the other people who are in the Facebook group or who the group follows on Instagram. If you're just on Instagram, follow them and leave a comment on their last post. If you are just on Facebook, don't befriend people if you don't know them (for the most part, people have been more guarded on Facebook lately and they won't accept anyone they haven't already met).
Within the group event page, leave a comment saying that you're excited to come or ask if you can bring anything. Usually one or two other members will comment as well, so you can start getting to know people before the event even starts!
Then...go! Show up to the networking event and grab a glass of wine, or hang out by the food area. It may just be me, but I find that those are the best two places for me to start connecting with other people. Talking about the wine or food provides a good introduction.
Introduce yourself to people, listen, laugh, don't focus on “selling” yourself. And just remember that even people like me, who have been doing this networking thing for 15 years, still get nervous when going into a room in which we don't know anybody. Take pictures of the wine, the food, the room, etc…but don't use your phone as a crutch to not talk to anybody. Focus on meeting people.
The day after the event, follow people you met in person online, and DM them saying that it was great meeting them. Comment on the meetup page and let them know that you had a great time. Maybe even leave a picture or two from the event.
Lather, rinse, repeat. Find other events, meet other people, and repeat the process. On top of that, don't forget to keep the connections going on social media after the in-person event.
I have a saved folder on my Instagram page with people I've met at networking events or marketers who have come to my classes. Once a week, I spend 15 minutes going through those lists and engaging with those people on stories or on their own feed. Remember that the connections on social media don't need to just happen on your page! Connect with people on their turf.
Okay, I guess I'll get off my soapbox on how important relationships are in social media marketing. But, I will say this – if you have learned anything from the action items above, leave me a comment below or on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. Happy socializing. :-)
