How many times do I need to say this?
Social is not a billboard. Stop screaming your messages into an abyss, hoping to attract customers. From the get-go, social was always meant to be social.
Way back in the beginning of all this, I’m talking around the time I was launching this business (2008) and spending much of my day on Twitter using words instead of images, graphics or videos to communicate, every company willing to invest in social and participate in the conversation had the greatest opportunity: customers could speak directly to someone at the business (sometimes the owner) and could get things done quickly. Some things that came out of this period:
- Real, authentic friendships that in some cases went from online to real life;
- Influencer relationships with PR people and businesses;
- Collaborations between businesses – large and small;
- Customer service like we had never experienced before;
- Mutual respect between companies and consumers
Over time, it became about content – how can we create something so cool, so able-to-go-viral that is better than our competition?
Essentially: how can we yell the loudest?
I’m not saying those other pieces went by the wayside. There are still authentic relationships built online and the influencer economy is still prevalent (and changing everyday). But what has never gone away, though some companies keep thinking it’s “new” every time it comes up is the importance of two-way communication.
Conversing with people, growing your audience, your community by engaging in regular conversation has ALWAYS been at the core of social.
If you’ve forgotten that, today’s a great day to set a reminder.
So how do you actually do this?
I get it. “Be more conversational” sounds great on a whiteboard and means absolutely nothing on a Tuesday when you’ve got a content calendar to fill. So here’s what it actually looks like, day to day:
Reply like a human, not a brand. If someone comments on your post, answer them the way you’d answer a friend at a bar, not the way legal would prefer. Skip the corporate “We appreciate your feedback!” copy-paste. People can smell a template from a mile away.
Ask questions and mean it. Not the fake “What do YOU think?! 👇” engagement bait. Actually ask your audience something you’re curious about, and then show up in the comments when they answer.
Respond fast, especially to the bad stuff. A complaint sitting unanswered for three days tells everyone watching exactly how much you care. Speed is respect.
Go find the conversation, don’t just wait for it. Comment on other accounts in your space. Show up in threads where your customers already hang out. Half of “engagement” is just being present somewhere other than your own feed.
Let a real person’s voice through. The accounts people actually like following sound like someone wrote them, not a committee. Give your team room to have personality, opinions, even a little edge.
Track conversations, not just impressions. If your only metrics are reach and views, you’re still measuring the billboard. Start counting replies, DMs, and the number of times someone became a customer because they talked to you first.
None of this is complicated. It’s just slower and messier than blasting out content and hoping something sticks. But slower and messier is where the actual relationships live, and relationships are what turn a follower into a customer and a customer into someone who tells their friends about you.
Social started as a conversation. It’s still supposed to be one. Go have some.
by 
