My MOST important tip about social network marketing

There’s always lists about the do’s and the don’ts, the have and have not’s. There will always be the 101 best lists and 101 worst. I on the other hand, just want to share the one. If there’s one thing you need to understand about social network marketing, what is it? Why?

I do a lot of internet marketing speaking events. We play lots of games, have lots of fun, but more important, stay engaged and learn. In a lot of these events, my goal or objective (“take away” for you fellow speakers out there) will vary. With some groups, my time is limited and my take away is simply, “you need to be doing this, with me, by yourself, or with someone like me… just do it”. My objective with this group is simply to reach a common understanding with the audience that social network marketing is a must for business today. As an internet marketing speaker, these events are challenging, yet mutually rewarding.

At other events, my take away changes; I have the time to explain why they need to be involved in social network marketing, what they need to be doing, and more importantly, what’s in it for them should they become involved. From an internet marketing consultant’s perspective, these events are much more informative, but like the shorter events, still mutually rewarding to the audience.

Regardless of the type event, I play one game at all of them that gives the audience a crystal clear understanding as to how they need to go about social network marketing. I could break it down into several small steps, and give you a “best of” or “most important” list. It’s so important, that I don’t want it to get lost in the shuffle.

As an internet marketing speaker, it’s not always easy to drive home take away points with an audience. Their knowledge of computers is sometimes non-existent or lacking, and sometimes, I’m told that “I’ve heard of Facebook, but I’ve never seen it. I just learned how to check my email!” This is why audience interaction and playing games can completely change what they take away from an event.

The MOST important tip about social network marketing is that it’s NOT business as normal.

In my internet marketing speaking and training events, I’ll ask the audience to stand up, and meet 4 or 5 people in the room, just like they would at a networking event, or before a meeting. Everyone stands up, shakes hands, puts on a fake smile, and says their name. Sometimes people even hand out business cards getting deep into what I told them, and actually networking.

I’ll make everyone sit down. They don’t why I just did this, as I have yet to mention anything about social networking. I ask them what it was like to do this, and the response I get most of the time is, “Business as normal!” Perfect, they took my bait.

I make everyone stand up again, and I begin to paint a mental image. I tell them that they’re at a 10 year family reunion, and old Uncle Vinnie is coming across the room to see you. I tell them everyone has had a drink by now, so you can let down the guard, and just enjoy the moment. I ask them to meet 5 people in the room like they’re family, and tell them not to hold back. <

What happens is amazing. Complete strangers in the audience go around hugging people they never knew. Everyone’s arms are wide open, smiles are wide and genuine. Laughter, screaming, and sometimes a fake tear are even shed. It’s amazing.

Everyone takes their seats, no longer caring what the point of the exercise was for, but now their primed, on the edge of their seats wanting to know more about whatever it is that I’m going to talk about.

I ask a few people what the difference in the two exercises were, and responses vary from “everyone in the room felt like family” to “I wish we could all do business like that”. Everyone feels the enthusiasm and a connection with one another. Everyone feels like … socializing.

The MOST important tip about social network marketing, is that it’s not business as normal. Everyone is quite possibly your best friend.

I tell them, this is the difference with social network marketing. Our first exercise was business as normal, everyone agreed. Our second exercise, something happened. We stopped trying to sell ourselves, and started acting ourselves. No one had to worry about what they were being sold, no one had to worry about being judged, you could be yourself AND do business.

That’s the difference with social network marketing.

My name is Mike Newhouse, and I am an internet marketing speaker, trainer, and consultant and I would be overjoyed to deliver a message just like this to your audience.

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