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2. ContentsCoverPraise for The New Relationship MarketingTitle PageCopyrightDedicationForewordAcknowledgementsIntroduction: What Is the New RelationshipMarketing, and Why Is It Crucial to BusinessesToday? The Paradigm Shift 11 Common Fears in the World of New Media Marketing Eight FAQs on Relationship Building in the New Age Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity Who Is This Book For? How This Book Will Benet YouPart One: Relationship Marketing BasicsChapter 1: How to Get Started in RelationshipMarketing and Overcome Your (Perfectly Normal)Fears 3. P Is for People O Is for Objective S Is for Strategy T Is for Technology Move from One-Way to Multiway Communication Conquer the Fear of ExposureMy Story Identify Your Fears Around Social Marketing Chapter 1 SummaryChapter 2: The New Business Skills EveryoneNeeds Build Empathy Express Genuine Care Give to Others Without Having an Agenda Have an Inclusive Attitude Use Discernment Communicate Clearly and Concisely Check Spelling and Grammar Follow My Eight Rules for Eective Electronic Communication Take Radical Responsibility Chapter 2 SummaryChapter 3: How to Stay Connected, Yet ProtectYour Time and Privacy Assign Brandividuals and Community Managers Create a Daily Routine 4. Make Use of Social Media Management Tools Choose Your Level of Active Online Participation Adopt the Sprint and Pause Method Chapter 3 SummaryPart Two: Nine Steps to SignicantlyGrowing Your Business Through Relationship MarketingChapter 4: Step 1: Create a Solid FoundationWith the Right Culture Identify Your Core Values Hire SlowFire Fast Chapter 4 SummaryChapter 5: Step 2: Review Your Relationships andChart Your Five Contact Circles Build Your Hollywood Squares (and Where Mine Got Me!) The Five Relationship Circles Whos in Your Room? Chapter 5 SummaryChapter 6: Step 3: Assess and Improve YourOnline Presence Be the Face of Your Brand Review and Update Your Brand Connect through Blogging Track Your Online Mentions 5. Check Your Online Ranking Optimize Your Social Proles Set Up Your Ancillary Tools Determine Your Privacy Levels Learn Social Networking Etiquette Chapter 6 SummaryChapter 7: Step 4: Build Your Network andBecome a Center of Inuence A Four-Part Formula for Building a Loyal Community Meet the Needs of Your Audience The Brand of YouBuilding Your Social Equity Becoming a Recognized Center of Inuence Are Inuencers Born or Made? Build Your Golden Rolodex Create Radical Strategic Visibility Engage in Conscious Social Media Stay Current with Reputation Management Chapter 7 SummaryChapter 8: Step 5: Become an Authority ThroughQuality Content Become a Quality Curator Focus on Quality Content Learn the Art of the Retweet Set Up a Content Calendar Use Multimedia for Greater Visibility 6. Repurpose Your Content Chapter 8 SummaryChapter 9: Step 6: Turn Fans, Friends, andFollowers Into Paying Customers Set Up a Promotional Calendar Prot Through Joint Ventures Integrate Calls to Action Develop Your Unique Marketing Style Use Photos for Impact Maximize Your Facebook Fan Page Make Special Oers Chapter 9 SummaryChapter 10: Step 7: Go Oine to Optimize YourOnline Marketing Attend Meetups and Tweetups Join Networking Groups Review Online Calendars of Events Do More Public Speaking Chapter 10 SummaryChapter 11: Step 8: Protect Yourself From theDark Side of the New Web Manage Cyberbullies and Trolls Protect Yourself from Spammers Embrace Feedback Chapter 11 Summary 7. Chapter 12: Step 9: Implement AdvancedRelationship Marketing Techniques and Becomea Top Industry Leader Build a World-Class Brand Increase Personalization Identify Superfans Test the Market Through Crowdsourcing Chapter 12 Summar "tryConclusion: How to Adapt as TechnologyChanges: The Future of Relationship Marketing Keeping Up Mobile Explosion The Growth of Video Marketing Touch Screen Mirrors High-Tech, High-Touch Events Lets MeetNotes Introduction: What Is the New Relationship Marketing, and Why Is It Crucial to Businesses Today? Chapter 1: How to Get Started in Relationship Marketing and Overcome Your (Perfectly Normal) Fears Chapter 2: The New Business Skills Everyone Needs Chapter 3: How to Stay Connected, Yet Protect Your Time and Privacy Chapter 4: Step 1: Create a Solid Foundation with 8. the Right Culture Chapter 5: Step 2: Review Your Relationships and Chart Your Five Contact Circles Chapter 6: Step 3: Assess and Improve Your Online Presence Chapter 7: Step 4: Build Your Network and Become a Center of Inuence Cha lefpter 9: Step 6: Turn Fans, Friends, and Followers into Paying Customers Chapter 10: Step 7: Go Oine to Optimize Your Online Marketing Chapter 11: Step 8: Protect Yourself from the Dark Side of the New Web Chapter 12: Step 9: Implement Advanced Relationship Marketing Techniques and Become a Top Industry Leader Conclusion: How to Adapt as Technology Changes: The Future of Relationship MarketingResources Blogs Business Networking Organizations Events Facebook Promotions Applications Protecting copyright Recommended Books Research, demographics Social Media Case Studies Social Media ROI 9. Spelling and GrammarSocial IsolationVideo streaming and recordinglockquote width="0">Video marketingWebinar platformsIndex 10. Praise for The New RelationshipMarketingTheres no one Ive known whos mastered the ne art of relationshipmarketing like Mari Smith. In this book she reveals her successfultechniques for building protable and lasting relationships. Apply hertechniques and watch your business grow. Michael A. Stelzner, author of Launch and founder ofSocialMediaExaminer.comMari Smith is a tireless champion for building relationships betweenbusinesses and their customers. It comes down to people and value. Mariwill show you how to get customers to not just like you, but love you! Brian Solis, author of best-selling books Engage! and The End of Business as UsualWhenever I have a social media question, Mari Smith is my go-to gal. Shehas her nger on the pulse and truly practices what she preaches. If youdont have her personal cell number, then this book is the next bestresource to jump-start your social media stardom. Jim Bunch, founder of The Ultimate Gameof Life, JimBunch.comThis book is the relationship marketing 2.0 bible! Mari Smith takes you bythe hand and skillfully walks you through how to signicantly increase yourbusiness using her proven methods for connecting with all the right people,both online and oine. As the CEO of SANG, the worlds premierorganization for thought leaders and entrepreneurs, I know how vital it is toyour success to build relationships with key inuencersand Mari is truly amaster at this. Read Maris book and nd out how you too can become amasterful relationship marketer.Larry Benet, cofounder of Speakers and Authors Networking Group, LarryBenet.comMari Smith has a magnicent hear a>Esperanza Universal, co-creator and CEO of S.O.U.L. Institute, Inc., SoulInstitute.comThe New Relationship Marketing oers you something unique; aninvaluable social media guidebook that recognizes that you too, like your 11. customers, are human. Mari Smith enables you to balance life and socialmedia, to build a community and your business, to be authentic and acompelling brand. Buy it today.Simon Mainwaring, author of the New York Times best seller, We First, SimonMainwaring.comWhen it comes to leveraging social media, the right knowledge is not onlypower, its prot. Mari is one of the rare experts who truly understands thenuances of blending todays high-tech online marketing with high-touchrelationship building. This book is a must-read for business and brandowners ready to lead with greater impact and inuence online. If relation-ships are the new currency, then this guide is worth its weight in gold.Jim Kwik, president of Warmth Media, JimKwik.comYou can become the go-to person among your friends, peers, andcustomers. Mari Smith has done it, and is a world-famous speaker andauthor as a result. In The New Relationship Marketing she spills hersecrets, giving you the step-by-step playbook for building genuine onlineinuence the right way. This book is an absolute must-read for anyonewhos ever thought about using social media for business.Jay Baer, coauthor of The NOW Revolution:7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter, and More Social, www.convinceandconvert.com,@jaybaer, facebook.com/nowrevolutionThere arent many people I would trust to write a book like this and evenfewer books that I would actually read. W I can assure you, this book is ell,the proverbial needle in the ha on Nick Nanton, CEO, The Dicks + Nanton Agency,Emmy award-winning director and producer, andcoauthor of 10 Best-Selling Books, NickNanton.comIn the world there are inuencers, and then there exist people like Mariwho are Authentic Inuencers. That is why Mari is sought after by largecorporations to help them grow. Now you can become an AuthenticInuencer yourself and gain a loyal social media following to enhance yourbusiness today. I recommend you buy this book because your business willprot from it and you will also grow as a person.Steven Seppinni, CEO, Zoozili.comRelationship marketing transcends the medium. Its not about how savvyyou are with the latest social-networking technologies. Its about people 12. connecting with people, doing business together for good, and that prevailswhether on the Internet or in person. Mari understands this at thefundamental level; in The New Relationship Marketing she teaches you hersimple nine-step system for monetizing your network in the most heartfeltway. Keith Ferrazzi, best-selling author of Whos Got Your Backand Never Eat Alone, MyGreenLight.comThis book is your golden ticket to not only understanding but alsoeectively capitalizing on the world of social media in terms of relationshipmarketing and business growth. In this digital age, social media is quicklybecoming crucially important across the globe, to businesses small andlarge. Attempting to ignore it is not an option; The New RelationshipMarketing is an absolute must-read for anyone and everyone in businesstoday!Ivan Misner, New York Times best-selling author and founder of BNI, BNI.comMari Smith is in fact the Pied Piper of the Internet World and Id p esersonally follow her anywhere. She understands better than anyone thespeed with which the world is evolving and the changes being made in theway we live and do business. This book is packed with information andinsights we can all use to have greater success with whatever we do. Iespecially like the nal chapter How to Adapt as Technology Changes: TheFuture of Relationship Marketing. Thats the lesson we all need to learnwell if we are to continue to grow and prosper. Magnique, Mari.Ken Kragen, author of Life Is a Contact Sport;organizer of We Are the World, Hands Across America, and NetAidconsultant, speaker, and recipient of the United Nations Peace Medal; KenKragen.comAdvice on improving your online persona while attracting followers mustcome from someone that has done it; Mari Smith is that someone. Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics, Socialnomics.netWant to master the ne art of relationship building, both online and inperson? Maris excellent book shows how to turn strangers into friends andclients. Best yet, her recommendations for developing win-win networksare specic, strategic, and ethical. They will increase your bottom line andadd value for everyone involved. Read em and reap.Sam Horn, intrigue expert and author of POP!, SamHorn.com 13. Its an honor to know Mari Smithshes as vibrant and smart in person asshe is in her new book! In fact, The New Relationship Marketing is a breathof fresh airits a gentle guide that walks you through the complex maze ofrapidly changing social technologies, while keeping in mind that the heartof good business is good people and the solid relationships we build withone another. Every action you take online and oine can impact whetherpeople choose to do business with you or not, and Mari is here to show youhow to stand way out and create extreme success using the social web. Besure to read this excellent book! Gary Ryan Blair, number one best-selling author of Everything Counts! and creator of100DayChallenge.comEveryone thinks they know how to communicate oine, but most failmiserably when trying to communicate or inuence others online becausethey lack a plan to get it done right. Mari Smith not only provides you aplan but also the tools, insights, and strategies you can immediatelyimplement r=" to build stronger relationships online as well as oine. Heradvice is perfect for the CEO/Entrepreneur all the way down to everyone onthe front line of your business. Chris Knight, CEO, EzineArticles.comThis is a must-read for nonprots that depend on building strongrelationships with stakeholders who can help them make the world a betterplace. Beth Kanter, coauthor of The Networked Nonprot,BethKanter.orgThe trick to successful digital marketing is understanding that socialmedia, e-mail, and the Internet are not about technology, butcommunications. These are todays media of choice for consumers. W evealways lived in a relationship economy. With this book, Mari Smith gives usthat oft-needed reminder that our focus needs to shift from social media,the Internet, and technology to where it ought to beon people.Jason Falls, coauthor of No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to SocialMedia Marketing and CEO of Social MediaExplorer, SocialMediaExplorer.comMari Smith is the real deal. From the minute I met her over the phoneduring Harvey Mackays book tour to seeing her live at a conference, shewants to help others build strong relationships. Shes a bright star. 14. Cathy Paper, founder of RockPaperStar, business manager forHarvey Mackay, New York Times number one best-selling author of Swim with the Sharks;Joe Sweeney, investment banker, and New York Timesbest seller; and Steven Schussler, founder of Rainforest Cafeand best-selling author, RockPaperStar.comWhen the magical Mari posted one of my presentation messages that L-I-S-T-E-N also contains S-I-L-E-N-T within minutes, a massive global tribehad taken in and passionately respondedTHATS MUSIC applied to Lifeand The New Relationship Marketing working divine communication.Through her new book, let Mari help you too create such vibrant responsesfor your business! Freddie Ravel, founder of TUNEUP to success music applied to life, FreddieRavel.comThe rst time I met Mari Smith, she had talked herself hoarse fromanswering hundreds of questions from an elite group of marketers. Assoon as she regained her voice, I booked a personal consultation with herin which she made specic suggestions to enhance my online presence.Fortunately, I was smart enough to do exactly what she said, and theresults were mind-bogglingly powerful. I learned so much from Mari that Ibooked her to share her social media expertise at an exclusive conferencefor radio broadcasters from around the world. I continue to follow theadvice she dispenses on her blog, in her books, and when we happen tobump into each other in airports.Youll love this book. The only thing thats missing is Maris uniqueScandifornian accent. For that, youll need to go hear her speak in person. . . or perhaps hang out at airports. Either way, itll be worth it.Dan ODay, radio advertising guru,DanODay.comMari Smith walks her talk: Marketing with heart, soul, and integrity willalways win regardless of the platform du jour. In her new book, she showsus that even though social technologies change at a rapid rate, people arefundamentally the same: W all want to know that we matter, that we emake a dierence. Businesses that are thriving today do so with the rightmix of high-touch and high-techthats the new relationship marketing, andMari leads the way. Cynthia Kersey, author of Unstoppable andUnstoppable Women, Chief Humanitarian Ocer of the Unstoppable Foundation, 15. Unstoppable.netMari Smith is a social media leader par excellence. She is a phenomenalspeaker who always delivers the highest of quality information. Herenthusiastic style is compelling for all audiences. I highly recommend Marias a social media and relationship marketing expert. Be sure to get all herbooks, and let Mari enlighten you. Greg Writer, CEO, Club TUKI, ClubTuki.comHaving known Mari Smith for over 10 years I can vouch for the triple-Aquality of her work, content, and information. Not only does Mari maintainhigh integrity at all times, but she regularly overdelivers. Her latest book,The New Relationship Marketing, is a classic example of Maris tendency toover deliver. I rely on Mari for the inside scoop on social media and I inviteyou to get involved with her blog, speaking engagements, books, andtraining sessions. I know you will rave about her too.Laura Rubinstein, presid thent of Social Buzz Club, SocialBuzzClub.comWith so much noise and competition onlineyour RELATIONSHIPS are whatmatter most. And Maris book will give you the blueprint on how to buildrock-solid relationships!Ryan Lee, author, entrepreneur, and coach, RyanLee.comThe New Relationship Marketing is the way to authentically grow yournetwork and, as a result, increase your prots. Mari Smith has the keys tothe abundance of what relationship marketing means and, moreimportant, how to do it right now!Jill Lublin, international speaker and best-selling author of three books including Get Noticed, Get Referrals, JillLublin.comRelationship marketing is one of the most vital aspects of beingsuccessful in any walk in life. Building relationships both personal andprofessional doesnt just happen; it takes energy and focus. Mari Smithshows you how do build critical relationships and how they give meaning toyour work and life. Joe Sweeney, businessman and entrepreneur,author of New York Times best-seller,Networking Is a Contact Sport, ContactSport.com 16. 17. Copyright 2011 by Mari Smith International, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley& Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to theCopyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (978)750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to thePublisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, JohnWiley& Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best eorts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties withrespect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specicallydisclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. Nowarranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for yoursituation. Y should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither theou publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of prot or any other commercialdamages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential, or otherdamages.For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800)762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand.Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included ine-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Smith, MariThe new relationship marketing: how to build a large, loyal, protable network using thesocial web/Mari Smith. 18. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-118-06306-4 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-13498-6 (ebk);ISBN 978-1-118-13499-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-13500-6 (ebk)1. Relationship marketing. 2. Customer relations. 3. Social networks. I. Title.HF5415.55.S65 2011 658.8 72dc232011017547 19. To my dad, Andrew.Thank you for always encouraging me to reach for the stars. 20. ForewordThe businesses that are getting ahead are the ones that connect with their customersand make the world a better place. Companies like Virgin America, Zappos, Starbucks,and Comcast are leading by example and showing what it means to care about theircustomers and the entire marketplace. This is true relationship marketing: Where thefocus is on people helping people, adding value for intrinsic reasons, and providingstellar customer servicecommerce naturally occurs as a result.Im sure youre familiar with the saying, People do business with people they know, like,and trustin other words, with people who are enchanting. This has not changed.What has changed, though, is the medium; everybody now has a voice and, as I like tosay, the nobodies are the new somebodies.When you are enchanting, youll stand head and shoulders above the competition. Butit does take time to nurture real relationships through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,blogs, e-mails, webinars, and social functions. Many business owners nd that thistakes up a lot of time to learn these new social technologies and to nurture all theirconnections online and oine.Fortunately, mastering the art of relationship marketing does not have to be a new, all-consuming, full-time job. In The New Relationship Marketing, master enchanter MariSmith walks you through all the nuances of blending high-tech with high-touch in asimple, easy-to-understand format that will yield measurable results for your business.With the myriad ways through which you can connect with prospects, customers,vendors, media contacts, politicians, and more, its vital that you understand both thetechnical aspects of how to use these new social technologies and the new soft skillsneeded to excel at relationship marketing.One false move and you could lose your job, your reputation, or both. It can be verydaunting for many people. Concerns around protecting privacy, avoiding plagiarism,and having to publicly handle customer complaints can stop businesses in their tracksfrom making progress with social media marketing. But, at the end of the day, its allpeople connecting with people, regardless of how small or how large your business is.Everyonefrom solopreneurs to household brandsare now being compelled toconduct themselves with higher levels of truth, integrity, and authenticity. With thetransparency of online social networking sites, there is nowhere to hide. This is a goodtrend. Y can achieve likeability and trustworthiness by showing up regularly, helpingouas many people as possible without having a hidden agenda, and wholeheartedlyengaging with your networks.Mari Smith is someone I have enjoyed building a solid relationship with over the pastseveral years. I use her photo in my Enchantment speech to illustrate what a world-class smile looks like. Im sure youll thoroughly enjoy reading Maris book and 21. discovering all her magical and savvy teachings on how to grow a opllarge and loyalnetwork. Youll nd that your personal and professional relationships ourish as a result.Guy Kawasakiauthor of Enchantment:The Art of Changing Hearts,Minds, and Actions; andformer chief evangelist of Apple 22. AcknowledgmentsIve called myself a Relationship Marketing Specialist for over10 years and haveprobably been writing this book in my head that entire time. Ive always had a passionfor people and technology, and I love to write. However, this book would never havecome into existence without the vision and steadfast support of a special group ofpeople in my personal and professional lives. Id like to take a moment to acknowledgeeach one of them.Thank you to the awesome team at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for their relentless supportand gentle but rm guidance: Richard Narramore, Lauren Freestone, Lydia Dimitriadis,and Peter Knox. Y all rock! ouMy deepest gratitude to my friend Michael Stelznerthank you for your continuedsupport and your belief in my writing ability. I appreciate sharing this journey with you formany years now. And to my fellow professionals in the online marketing world, its trulya joy to know you: Erik Qualman, Liz Strauss, Brian Solis, Chris Brogan, John Jantsch,Gary Vaynerchuk, Jay Baer, Jay Berkowitz, Chris Knight, Jeremiah Owyang, Pam Moore,Ekaterina Walter, Viveka von Rosen, Ann Handley, Kristi Hines, Mark Schaefer, and JimKukral.Many friends and colleagues generously shared their marketing, writing, business, andbranding savvy with me during the process of writing this book and beyond. Im gratefulfor your friendship and invaluable encouragement: W endy Keller, Cathy Paper, KimCastle, Kristin Andress, Cindy Ratzla, Paul Lemberg, Michael Drew 2, Guy Kawasaki,Dave Crenshaw, Gary Ryan Blair, Larry Genkin, Paul Homan, David T yreman, Jill Lublin,Sam Horn, Arielle Ford, Simon Mainwaring, Christine Messier, Darren Hardy, Pina deRosa, Tracey T rottenberg, Jack Caneld, Janet Attwood, Jim Bunch, John Assaraf, and JimKwik.A special thank you to my friend Larry Benet, founder of the Speakers and AuthorsNetworking Group (SANG), who is by far one the best investments Ive made in mycareer over the years. Thank you for your nonstop cheerleading! And a special shout-out to all my fellow SANG members: I appreciate you all immensely.Many thanks go to my friend, Mitch Meyerson, for our relationship marketingconversations. And to the incomparable Keith Ferrazzithank you for your pioneeringwork in the eld of business relationship mastery. Also, special kudos to Joe Sweeneythank you for your kind encouragement and your body of work on authentic networking.T my fellow founding members of the Association of T o ransformational LeadersSouthern CaliforniaI love you all and cheri , Psh our journey together. I look forward tomany lifetimes of continued connection.Heartfelt thanks to my team: Lori Westbay, my Customer Happiness Director, and 23. Susan Majoy, my Assistant Extraordinaire. Thank you both for helping to bring peaceand order to my daily life!Much love and gratitude goes to all my past graduates and current participants of myMentor with Mari Social Media Professionals Program. Thank you for the standardsyou help to set. I believe in you. And, a special acknowledgment goes to all my MVPs(Maris Valuable Peeps), thank you for generously contributing your knowledge to myFacebook community.For your loving guidance and empathetic ear, thank you to my sweet friends: AshleyMahaey, Lynn Rose, Angela Albright, Laura Rubinstein, Angie Swartz, Shajen Joy Aziz,Dorcy Russell, Cynthia Kersey, Amy Portereld, Carol Dysart, DC Cordova, KristineCatalina, Nancy Jones, and Dynah Joy.And last, but by no means least, to my dear friend and spiritual teacher, EsperanzaUniversal, thank you for opening a door in 2009 that allowed me to nally take ight andchange my life forever. Your unwavering belief in me means more to me than you know.I love you. 24. IntroductionWhat Is the New RelationshipMarketing, and Why Is It Crucial to Businesses Today?New marketing is about the relationships, not the medium.Ben Grossman, founder of BiGMarK1Y may have heard this claim with increasing frequency lately: Relationships are the ounew currency. While its always been true that people do business with people theyknow, like, and trust, the explosion of online social networking has led us to experiencea fundamental paradigm shift in how we communicateand, ultimately, do businessall over the world.Currently, two billion people on the planet have access to the Internet; thats almost 30percent of the worlds entire population.2 Additionally, there are more than 5.3 billionmobile subscribers (77 percent of the worlds population). This explosive growth is ledby China and India, and many mobile web users are mobile-only; in other words, theydo not (or only very rarely) use a desktop, laptop, or tablet device to access the web.Mobile-only use is 70 percent in Egypt and 59 percent in Indiaand even in the UnitedStates, it comprises 25 percent of subscribers.3In addition to the various types of devices consumers and businesses u ghtse, theplatforms within which they interact are growing exponentially. The worlds largest socialnetworking site, Facebook.com, is hurtling toward its rst billion members (the site hasmore than 700 million active users as of this writing).People all over the planet are sharing more and more personal and private informationabout themselves via a mounting number of websites and tools. This information is allout in the open and completely available for searching; that is, unless you electively setyour privacy settings so tight that only specic individuals can nd what you share. Moreand more, professional recruiters are conducting extensive research, poring over socialproles, and using the data they nd to inuence hiring decisions. Equally, drawing fromthis same pool of online information, many employers use publicly shared data to reemployees for misconduct or violation of company policies. Insurance companies,government ocials, and attorneys also tap into the plethora of personal informationavailable online and use it as evidence when needed. Plus, of course, businesses haveaccess to everything consumers choose to publicly share about themselves online.What this means for you as a business owner, entrepreneur, or marketing executive is 25. that you need to become a master at relationship marketing by honing your skills intwo primary areas: (1) the technical skills needed to properly utilize the vast array ofsocial tools and (2) the soft skills needed to eectively build solid relationships throughthese social tools. Its a whole new world thats moving very fast; one false step couldcost you your reputation, so youre going to need a trusty road map. Thats what Iintend this book to be for you.Relationship marketing is a term rst introduced in 1986 to the services marketingliterature by Dr. Leonard L. Berry,4 who dened it as attracting, maintaining, andenhancing customer relationships. Several recurring themes in relationship marketingliterature include customer satisfaction, mutual trust, and commitment or promise.While many of these perspectives compare marketing relationships to a marriage,which is marked by the ongoing mutual commitment and interest of both parties,another perspective posits that relationship marketing is an asymmetrical marketingprocess that requires an in-depth, personalized understanding of customer needs andcharacteristics. Relationship marketings focus is to move all customers up the ladder ofloyalty.5Think of relationship marketing as a term with the following overarching denition: thoseeorts that will make your prospective customers aware of your products and services,position your business in their minds as the obvious choice, and help you build lifelongprotable relationships with them.At its core, new relationship marketing means genuinely caring about all other humanbeings on the planet and building solid, win-win relationships. Those relationships arewith your prospects, clients, strategic alliances, media contacts, key inuencers, and,yes, even your competitors. Ultimately, eective relationship marketing leads to amore sustainable nsp, successful, and conscious business.The Paradigm ShiftI use the terms social media marketing, social marketing, and new media marketinginterchangeably throughout this book. The most important thing to remember is thatrelationship marketing basically encompasses all types of marketingboth online andoine. This ranges from TV and radio to billboards and direct mailfrom Facebook andTwitter to e-mail and mobile.As you can see in Figure I.1, the ways in which these marketing tactics can be usedonline are both numerous and far-reaching.Figure I.1 The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and JESS3 26. The Conversation Prism gives you a big picture view of the social media universe,categorized and organized by how people use each network. (See this image enlargedonline at www.theconversationprism.com.) The operative word in this model isconversation. New media is about engaging and building relationships.The acceleration of development in communications technologies has forced humanbeings to connect in totally new and dierent ways. W ere being called to higherstandards of authenticity, integrity, and transparency, and we are compelled to trulycare about the world and all the people in it. The power has shifted from corporations toconsumers, from dictators to citizens. And, as Guy Kawasaki puts it, The nobodies arethe new somebodies.This paradigm shift has multiple aspects and implications:1. Your every move is now being tracked, recorded, viewed,and archived. Y have to be rigorous about protecting your ouprivacy and your reputation on both a personal and 27. professional basis. However, youre always in control of exactlywhat you share regarding both yourself and business matters.Keep in mind that Facebookand many other online socialnetworkshave very granular privacy settings that you needto understand. Plus, many excellent tools for reputationmanagement are available on the market today. Youll nddetails of such tools in later chapters of this book, at the backin the Resources section, and in the companion website atwww.relationshipmarketing book.com/free.2. We now have a vastly interconnected web of personal andprofessional connections called the social graph. . 6Facebook, T re >6 wi3. You now need to invest in thorough training and may needto shore up your in-house resources to properly manage allyour relationships on the social graph. There is a huge rangeof educational materials, including college degrees, on thesubject of new media and relationship-based marketing. (Plus,of course, youre reading this bookwhich is a very goodthing!) And remember, you dont have to do it all yourself;hiring a part-time virtual assistant can take a lot of weight oyour shoulders.4. People are sharing vast amounts of personal informationonline. Y can now tap into this in order to better personalize ouand hypertarget your communications with your marketplaceand better serve your customers needs.5. Nowadays, your visibility and ndability will land you thebest opportunities. Its no longer enough to just optimize yourwebsite to be found on Google; you have to optimize youronline and oine social presence, too. This is what I call radicalstrategic visibility, something I explain in detail in Chapter 7.The main idea behind this concept is the wider your reach, themore people will see youand the greater you can build yourbusiness.6. Consumers, publishers, and the media can easily see thesize and quality of your online digital footprint and use it asa key decision-making factor. People may choose to contactyou (or not) depending on how many friends/fans/followers/connections you have and what type of informationyou share online. This is often referred to as your platform.The good news is you can take full control of the quality andthe growth of your platform. Keep reading as I explain how in 28. this book!7. The saying, Its not what you know, its who you know isonly partially accurate these days. Whats even moreimportant now is who knows you. If you really want toaccelerate your businesss growth, you would do well todevelop the ability to cultivate solid relationships withinuencers. T odays social tools make it easier than everbefore to get to key decision makers and top inuencersnotonly to access them, but also to build meaningful relationshipswith them. Chapter 7 covers this area thoroughly.8. Anyone can now carve out his or her piece of virtual realestate on the Internet. Any individual or company can startup shop and create a vast web of friends, fans, followers,contacts, and/or subscribers. The playing eld has leveled. Themiddleman is no longer required.9. Consumers nally have a voice. And they can speak asloudly as they wish. Businesses have to monitor and respondto whats being said about them across a range of platforms.The good news is that your brand now has an opportunity todemonstrate stellar customer service in public and use this toconvert more prospects into paying customers.10. You can now signicantly enhance and accelerate thegrowth of all your relationships by blending oine and onlinestrategies. Y oull meet people in person and can easilycontinue to build your relationships with them via online socialnetworking. The reverse is true as well: Youll connect withpeople online, build rapport, and then meet them in person.Todays social media tools allow everyone the opportunity tobuildand managea greater number of more meaningfulrelationships. In Part T of this book, youll discover the exactwosteps to growing your business through these social tools.11 Common Fears in the World of New Media MarketingUnderlying all fears is the fear that we cant handle it. Susan Jeers 29. The fact that youre reading this book tells me youre probably like a lot of my clientsand students: Y may have many concerns and challenges that have prevented you oufrom reaping the full benets of todays social media marketing.Following is a list of the common challenges Ive identied that business owners face intodays world of new media marketing. Perhaps youll relate to a few of these:1. I dont have time to build relationships with people I dontknow.2. Social media seems like a full-time job. Im already maxedout doing what I do.3. I dont want to have to learn it all. Just give me the basicsor can I just outsource it all?4. I want to protect my privacy; I dont want to live in theglass house that social networking seems to be.5. I want to pro fon.6. I dont know what I should delegate. Ive heard ofghostwriters and am afraid of being found out that theinformation Im providing is not in my voice.7. Can I really get social ads to work for me? I dont want towaste my marketing dollars experimenting.8. I dont know the social media best practices. I know thesesites have their own culture, but Im afraid to dive in for fear ofdoing something wrong.9. I dont know which sources to trust.10. Im not sure how Id measure any real results.11. Can I really make money using social media?If even a few of these fears are familiar to you, just know that youre not alone! Manypeople have been in your shoes and have forged ahead to build a sizable business andonline presence that yields tremendous results and prots. Given these fears are whatstop business owners from really creating success with social media, Ive dedicatedChapter 1 to getting started and getting past these perfectly normal fears. I walk youthrough each of these challenges and provide suggestions on how to get started andovercome any resistance you may be feeling to really make your mark in the world ofnew media. 30. Eight FAQs on Relationship Building in the New AgeIn addition to addressing the 11 common challenges in Chapter 1, throughout the restof this book, Ill provide answers to the following eight frequently asked questions (thatyoull be happy to hear have simple answers!):1.Do I have to disclose details of my private life whennetworking online?2.Can I hire ghostwriters and delegate my voice?3.How can I add a personal touch without burning up all mytime?4.A e bs my online network grows, how can I scale personallyconnecting with everyone when my network is too large tomanage?5.Does everyone really expect a reply to his or her questionson Facebook and Twitter? Am I missing out on business if Idont respond to everyone?6.What are some ways to really stand outto go above andbeyond and really make my current potential customers feelvalued and special?7.How do I discern between taking time for true prospectivecustomers versus people who are just seeking freeinformation?8.How can I establish relationships with key inuencers whenthey seem so hard to reach?If you have other questions not listed here that youd like answered, visit the companionwebsite at www.relationshipmarketingbook.com for ways to connect with me and Ill behappy to answer for you. Simplicity on the Other Side of ComplexityMarketing has become innitely more complex. W have many more moving parts toecontend with, some of which are very high tech. Y marketing is still as straightforward et,and simple as it always has been. W must maintain that human touch and build solid e 31. relationships with our clients, peers, colleagues, and even our competitors.Youre probably familiar with the acronyms B2B and B2C for business-to-business andbusiness-to-consumer, respectively, to describe which market a business serves.However, I really like the new acronym P2P, which stands for, simply, people-to-people.At the core, most people are fundamentally the same; we all want to know that wematter, that we make a dierence, and that our voices will be heard. The same is truewhether were interacting with individuals or with household brands. At the end of theday, a brand is still people . . .interacting with people. Yes, people are complex, butwhen you can set aside all the complexities of technology and strive to relate to yourentire marketplace as real human beings, not numbers on a list, your business andsatisfaction levels will increase.Who Is This Book For?If youre a businessperson whos feeling the pressure to shift your approach to usingsocial media marketing, to better understand the new soft skills required for success onthe social web, and to improve your own leadership and relationship skills throughe mplmotional and social intelligence, then this book is for you. Y might be: ouAn entrepreneur, solopreneur, coach, consultant, author, speaker.An owner of a small- to medium-sized business.A C-suite executive or human resources manager.A community manager, or aspiring to be one.An enlightened leader, or aspiring to be one.Even if you currently have zero online presence, youll begin to see measurable resultsin a short time by following the steps laid out in this book. If youre already using socialsites to market your business but wish to see a marked improvement, the proven nine-step formula that I provide applies equally to you. And, if you consider yourself aseasoned marketer both online and oine, youll still nd a wide array of practical tipsto see an immediate increase in your results. How This Book Will Benet YouY know you need to really master the art of building key business relationships outhrough new media. But chances are that youre short on time and already stretchedpretty thin. If this is the case, you havent fully seen the benets and ROI (return oninvestment) of using platforms such as Facebook and T witterand youre likely feelingstuck.This book is here to help you become unstuck, specically by showing you how to:Grow a sizable, loyal network comprised of quality relationships that results in a 32. continuous stream of leads, happy customers, publicity, deals, opportunities,prots, and more.Easily identify and connect with key inuencers, evangelists, and superfans in anatural way that creates instant rapport.Build more robust, lasting relationships that foster more business.Completely wow your prospects, customers, and colleagues with your creative,highly personalized new media communication that keeps them coming back formore.Become a signicant center of inuence who is known for being an approachable,accessible expert who is gracious and warm to everyonebut who manages todo so without pouring all your precious time down a black hole.Know exactly what to automate and delegate, yet still give everyone in yournetwork that special personal touch.My goal for this book is to help you master the ne art and practice of eectiverelationship building, using the right mix of proven Internet-based and in-person-basedstrategies. ="t I want to help you understand every nuance of the unspoken protocols,etiquette, best practices, and cultures of the online social marketing world. I also wantto show you how you can really maximize your in-person connection time because ofyour knowledge of the way online relationship marketing works.Ill walk you through a step-by-step game plan of exactly how to build a substantial,loyal network comprised of quality relationships that ultimately results in an increase inyour bottom line.Lets get started! 33. Part OneRelationship Marketing Basics 34. Chapter 1How to Get Started in RelationshipMarketing and Overcome Your(Perfectly Normal) FearsTo conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.Bertrand RussellT help you get started with social media marketing, lets use the acronym P.O.S.T o .aconcept developed by Forrester Research. As explained in the book Groundswell byCharlene Li and Josh Berno, P.O.S.T helps to simplify and use a template for how to.approach social marketing. 1P Is for PeopleWhere are your people? Are they mostly on Facebook? Are they on Twitter, LinkedIn, orGoogle+? Are they on a completely dierent network that may be serving the Asian orEuropean market? Y need to do some research and nd out if your target market ouuses a particular online social network more than any others. Before you can do this,however, you rst need to be clear about who your target market is. Marketingprofessionals have long used psychographics to determine target marketsan analysisthat consists of behaviors, trends, cultures, and ways of thinking attributed to certaingeographic locations. With such a surge in online engagement, you can now alsoassess your target market based on technographics, a concept coined by ForresterResearch and explained in Groundswell. T echnographics is a composite picture of thetype of people youre trying to reach, which networks they hang out on, andperhapsmost importantlyhow youre going to reach them. O Is for ObjectiveWhat do you wish to accomplish through new media marketing? What is your main goalhere? Do you want to build your e-mail list and sell more products? Are you looking toan just improve brand sentiment, or do you want to launch a new product orservice? Are you interested in creating more demand or increasing existing registrationnumbers? Y our overarching end result of your marketing needs to be clear.S Is for Strategy 35. This is a step that people often miss entirely in the world of social and relationshipmarketing; they go straight to tools and tactics and overlook strategy. Many businessowners get involved with social media as a result of peer and media pressure. Theyjump on boardoften blindlybecause theyve heard about Facebook and Twitter onthe news every day and have seen other companies using Facebook as their primarylanding page. Unfortunately, they dont join the sites with any clear objectives in mind;sometimes they dont even know if their target market is engaged on those platforms.In short, they dont have a strategy. They just throw a page and prole together hastilyand hope that somehow, something magical will happen.Y have to plan out your strategy and ensure that its in alignment with your primary ouobjective. For instance, when you set out to create your Facebook fan page, askyourself how you will engage people. Will you run a contest to drive people there? Willyou send out a broadcast message to your current e-mail list to persuade yoursubscribers to come over and join you? Will you let them know about a special oerthats available only to fans?T Is for TechnologyMany businesses get this entire P.O.S.T system backward and are trying to work with.T.S.O.P.in other words, they begin their eorts with technology. They start by joiningTwitter and Facebook and throwing together some semblance of a social prole. Theirstrategy might be to use automated systems or hired sta to help build fans andfollowers, because they heard somewhere that its all about the numbers, and whoeverhas the biggest Klout2 score wins. Unfortunately, most of these companies arent evenclear about how to use these social sitesand many havent bothered to do thehomework to gure out whether their target markets are even actively present onthese sites.However, its hard to imagine that at least a cross section of your target market wouldnot be on Facebook. As Im writing this, Facebook has well over 700 million active users3and is inching toward its rst one billion members. With that number of people on oneplatform, its almost guaranteed that your target market will be in there somewhere.Perhaps not every member and maybe not 100 percentbut it could be 20 percent oras much as 50 percent, with the remainder active on sites like LinkedIn and T witter. AdAge compiled the infographic shown in Figure 1.1 ; this useful graphic serves to give4you an overview of users on Facebook, T witter, and LinkedIn.Figure 1.1 The Demographics of Social Media 36. There are various tools you can use to research the demographics of your targetmarket, such as Radian6.com and Research.ly, sites that allow you to identify theconversations and inuencers that matter to your business. My favorite site for thelatest Facebook statistics is SocialBakers.com.See also the Resources section at the back of the book for more suggestions and visitRelationshipMarketingBook.com/free for an updated list of tools and helpful resourceswith live links. Move from One-Way to Multiway CommunicationAs you read this book, you will learn about the nine steps to setting up and creatingmeasurable results through relationship and social marketing. The true basics of how toget started are in these four elements: people, objective, strategy, and technology.However, business owners are often hesitant to move forward because they are, quitesimply, afraid. Its perfectly normal to have fears about creating an online presence andestablishing your brand on such viral platforms. After all, it really can feel like the wholeworld is watching you.Prior to 2006 (when Facebook was made available to the public), business owners hadthe luxury of remaining quite private. W didnt have to live in a shbowl and be ecompletely exposed by consumers sharing everything and anything online. Although weconducted our business online, the only real two-way connection with clients andprospects was a contact form on our websites.Then blogsa forum that helps to create a more interactive two-way communicationbegan to increase signicantly in popularity. Now your company can put up an articleand openly invite people to leave their comments. Although this is an improvement anda step toward customer control, the companyfor the most partis still in charge.Then, when social networking sites exploded, the invisible middleman disappeared.Brands no longer had to rely on only old media such as radio, TV, print, or even directmail to reach their audience. Although e-mail marketing is still activeand should beintegrated into an overall marketing planits absolutely vital to include the socialmedia aspect in all forms of your marketing. By having active social networking prolesand promoting them in all your marketing materials and anywhere your prospects andcustomers may be looking, youll dramatically increase your viral visibility. Conquer the Fear of ExposureMyStory 37. Courage is doing what youre B afraid to do. There can be no courageunless youre scared. Eddie RickenbackerFor me, the process of writing this book evoked the same fear you may face every daywhen marketing through social mediaa fear of exposure. I was painfully shythroughout most of my school years. My least favorite subject involved reading aloud. Iwould shrink down in my chair to make myself less visible, hoping the teacher wouldntcall on me. However, I did very well academically and ended up skipping a grade inelementary school in Canada, which allowed me to graduate at a younger age. I thenmoved to Scotland, and while my peers were all graduating high school at age 16 goingon 17, I joined them at age 15 going on 16and went straight into the workforce. Iwasnt attracted to attending college at the time.Fortunately, I began to gain condence as an adult and also developed a thirst forfurther education. I attended evening classes, became very active in the speaking clubToastmasters, and discovered Lee Glicksteins Speaking Circles in later years. What Iloved about Speaking Circles was that they did not emphasize getting the content anddelivery perfect, but rather focused on connecting with the audience from the heart.This is what Ive attempted to do throughout this book.Computers and technology have always fascinated me as well. In my early teens, mydad would write music that I programmed into an old Sinclair C50the one with thecassette tape drive on the side of the keyboard. (Uh oh, Im dating myself here!) Ivealso always had a fascination for people and guring out what makes them tick. Ivestudied a wide array of personality assessments; I have a deep understanding of myown traits and motivations and can easily recognize other personality types. With theright education, experience, and wisdom, over time, I conquered my fears of publicspeaking and really putting myself out there.Throughout my varied careers as a legal secretary, ad salesperson, software marketer,motivational trainer and coach, and business manager, my two lovespeople andtechnologycontinued to prevail. As I look back over my years in the workforce, thejobs I loved the most were those that involved direct connection with people andtraining them on new technology.Its therefore no surprise that I have such an anity for social media. This is preciselywhy I am so excited to help you get past your fears and benet from everything thatthese new exciting platforms and tools have to oer both you and your business.Knowledge is power, as the saying goesin fact, knowledge applied is where thepower happens.Identify Your Fears Around SocialMarketing 38. Understanding is one thing. Action is another. You can spend yearsunderstanding your fear of water & still never walk to the edge of the pool. Barbara SherMany peoples fears about social networking stem from their beliefs about a right to acertain level of privacy. They dont want to expose their inner workings and areconcerned about condentiality and what their employees are sharing online. However,using social media marketing for your business doesnt mean giving away all of yourcompanys information. Like any other business process, your social media policy mustclearly establish rules for protecting your intellectual property, trademarks, and projectsyou are working on behind the scenes. T help guide you on the specics of this, we odiscuss managing copyrights and similar proprietary information in more depth later inthis book.The following 11 fears are the ones mentioned in the introduction Now, lets do a realitycheck and also work to alleviate these fears.Perhaps youll recognize yourself in a few (maybe even all!) of these commonchallenges:Fear 1: I dont have time to build relationships with people Idont know.This is the single most common protest I hear when talking topeople about why they have not yet fully embraced andintegrated social media marketing into their business. Time isa major factor; of course, it takes awhile to nurture and buildrelationships. Y wont be able to really build a presence, getouvisibility online and oine, and establish traction with a strongfollowing, fan base, and subscriber list overnight. The goodnews is there are systems to help automate some parts ofyour social media marketing. But you cant completelyautomate or delegate your own relationship building;realistically, you will need to set aside regular time to connectwith the right people.Fear 2: Social media seems like a full-time job; Im alreadymaxed out doing what I do.If you are a solopreneur or run a small business, you probablyhave limited resources with which to invest in subcontractorsor additional sta to take care of all this for you. And even ifyou can aord to hire someone, you still need to train andoversee that person, because he or she will be representingyou. 39. Some large companies that arent in tune with social mediamarketing and havent invested in training will often delegatethe social media management element to the informationtechnology (IT) department. But just because the people inthis department know the technical workings of the Internet, itdoesnt mean they have the expertise and knowledge toengage and be eective relationship marketers online. Someorganizations may delegate these eorts to human resources,customer relations, or public relations (PR). Social media canand shouldbe integrated into all of those departments.Everyone from your janitor to the chief execu Btive ocer(CEO) should know that youre on Twitter, Facebook, andLinkedInand you must make your companys values andsocial media policy clear from the beginning.Fear 3: I dont want to have to learn it all; just give me thebasics.The technology part of social media can be very complex.Even having been immersed in this area for many years as asocial media expert, I still nd the changes to be rapid andnumerous, especially with sites like Facebook. It can beextremely dicult to keep up. I completely understand whypeople have such strong apprehension about needing to learnso much new technology. And its not just technology thats anissue; there are also the many unspoken rules of etiquetteand best practices. How do you know if youre doingsomething right as your nger is hovering over that Send,Share, or T weet button? This is a major concern for manybusiness owners, as well as the people in charge of learningsocial medias technology and soft skills. My goal in writingthis book is to support you in learning exactly what you needto know and understanding what you can outsource.Fear 4: I want to protect my privacy; I dont want to live in aglass house.Of all the social networks out there, Facebook has been in thenews the mostregarding the enormous criticism of how itsprivacy policies (or lack thereof) have exposed memberproles. Y interestingly enough, its actually the user who etdoes not fully understand how to best take advantage of andutilize Facebooks privacy settings. Facebook has incrediblygranular settings for this that allows users to set themselvesup to be practically invisible or completely wide open, 40. depending on their preference. Not only that, you get tochoose exactly what information goes out through the WorldWide Web. In Chapter 3, well discuss the area of privacy inmore depth.Fear 5: I want to protect my content from plagiarism.This is a prevalent and valid concern for anybody who uses theInternet. As soon as you write a blog post, it becomes yourcopyrighted intellectual property; unfortunately, though, itsfair game for someone to come along and decide that theyrejust going to take your content and put it on their blog. Thereare services out there, like Copyscape.com that willfor asmall feealert you when your content has been copied andplaced elsewhere. Y can also sign up for Google Alerts, whichouis free. Google Alerts allows you to track certain keywords thatare relevant to you, your company, and your content andsends you a notication when these terms show up anywhereonline.Lets say that youre a professional photographer who uploadsyour photos on Facebook. Anyone can download these photoBs in high resolutionsomething that makes me sympathizewith photographers who are trying to protect their work. Oneway to guard your photos is to place a watermark on everysingle image posted online. However, I dont think anyone hascome up with an overall solid solution for this areawhichmakes the fear of plagiarism very real and perfectly normal.The fear of being copied is related to privacy, because you arethe one who chooses what content to post online. However,you may decide to adopt what we in the Internet marketingworld call moving the free linewhere you give away muchmore than you did previously. This means giving out freesamples, free content, and free calls, for example, to attractpotential new clients. When people want more from you, thatswhen you move them to a sale.Fear 6: I dont know what I should delegate. Ive heard ofghostwriters, and Im afraid of being found out that its not myvoice.This is another perfectly valid fear. After all, if youre a businessowner or busy executive, you likely dont have extra hours inthe day to spend establishing a presence online, yet youunderstand the importance of doing so. How do you integrate 41. social technologies and take time to build relationships withyour prospects and your existing customers if you have todelegate your voice? Thats a serious question to consider,and one that elicits a lot of divided opinions. Many celebritieschoose to have a ghostwriter, which seems to be somethingweve come to accept. W just assume that these busy esuperstars dont have the time to respond to all their fansthemselves. But were generally not as okay with abusinessperson having someone else masquerade as him orher. Its dicult to strike a balance between maintainingintegrity by adding a personal touchbut not have it becomeall-consuming.My recommendationupon which Ill expand greatly in a futurechapteris to take your existing content (articles, books,transcripts, blog posts, presentations, white papers, etc.) andhand it over to a person who can support you. That assistant(whether in person or virtual) can repurpose your content andchunk it down into 140-character tweets and Facebookupdates, and perhaps 500-word blog posts. This is a great wayto delegate your voice without having to spend hoursproducing new material. However, if youre going to delegateinteracting and personally having a dialogue with your friends,fans, followers, and subscribers, I recommend being totallytransparent about when youre speaking and when a delegateis speaking. For an example, see Robert Cialdinis Twitteraccount.Fear 7: I dont want to waste my marketing dollarsexperimenting; can social media ads really work for me?There are tremendous success stories about advertisingthrough social mediaspecically from Facebook ads. Go toFacebooks own ads case studyBsection atfacebook.com/FacebookAds. Obviously, tools like GooglesAdW ords have been around for many years, and if you reallyknow what youre doing, you can yield tremendous resultsfrom investing in advertising. The interesting thing to keep inmind when comparing Google (a search engine) and Facebook(a social network) is that people are in search mode whenthey use Google; in other words, theyre looking for an answeror a solution to their problem. These search ads are paid adson the site that serve as somewhat of a solution to thekeywords that are placed into the search engine. If you wordyour ads carefully and target them accurately, youll probably 42. get decent results.On Facebook, however, people are in social mode. Manyconsider the ads on the site to be almost periphery noise orunwelcome distractions. T really grab a users attention, the ooers or information have to be fairly compelling. The bottomlineand the beauty of Facebook adsis that theyre themost targeted trac your money can buy. For instance, sayyou own a Los Angeles bridal store that sells really wild-lookinggowns; you could place an ad to promote your store and uselters to target women aged 18 to 35 who are engaged to bemarried, who live in the greater Los Angeles area, and who listLady Gaga as one of their likes. Y can target your ads soouspecically that you ensure the people who match your criteriasee themand you can do so with a fairly nominal budget.Fear 8: I know social media sites have their own culture andbest practices; I dont want to dive in and do it incorrectly.All online social networking platforms do indeed have their ownculture and their own vernacular. Many features on these sitesoften get misused. For example, on Facebook, tags areoften misused when a marketer decides to tag all manner offriends and businesses in an unrelated photo, video, note, orstatus update in an attempt to gain attention.Twitter, with its brevity, has a host of symbols and acronyms,such as @, #, RT, and more. The acronym RT means retweet;this is what you use when you want to share someone elsestweet with your followers. This is just the beginning; there arecountless other dierent acronyms and strategies. Enteringthese realms can be like stepping onto another planet, whichcan be quite scary at times.Something as simple as not realizing when you are publishingcontent publicly versus privately can have a negative impacton your results and reputation. As the cartoon5 in Figure 1.2illustrates, this mistake is actually all too common. Figure 1.2 Public vs. Private Social Networking 43. Understanding the basics of how each of the popular onlinesocial platforms works will go a long way in alleviating yourfears. Ive had students ask me to explain exactly whathappens when you post an update on your personal prolewall: Where does it go? Who can see it? How do you know whatis the appropriate symbol or method to use? How often shouldyou be tweeting or updating? How much is too much or toolittle, too frequently or not often enough?Unfortunately, there are no denitive answers as to what isreally eective, as it can be dierent for each industry. Readingthis book, along with other books I recommend in theResources section, and taking classes from trusted sources 44. should give you a tremendous leg up on your competition. Myintent in writing this book is to help open your eyes to how tobest conduct yourselfboth online and oinein a way thatshows the utmost respect for everybody. Y never want tooucome across as competitive, pushy, careless, or clueless;instead, you want to convey that youre someone whosgenuine and caring. Y want to create a brand that peopleouadoreone with which they want to interact and that theydlove to promote.Fear 9: I dont know which sources to trust.This is a very valid concern. Determining the best practicescan sometimes depend on whom youre listening to. Dierentsocial media experts may oer conicting advice. Often, its agood idea to simply ask someone you trust what tools theyuse, where they get their content, and how they post theirupdates. Over time you will nd certain blogs that you want tosubscribe to and resources and trainings that arerecommended to you. For instance, Ill reference variousproducts, services, tools, and resources in this book. Y canoube condent that hand on heart, I wouldnt recommendanyone I dont have experience with or anything I dont usemyself.Fear 10: Im not sure how to measure any real results.This is a substantial area of concern for countless people andcompanies. Unfortunately, it can take anywhere from three tosix months of beginning to integrate social technologies intoyour existing business and marketing plans before youactually start seeing an increase in the bottom line, with moreorders and more clients buying from you. If you use theP.O.S.T approach explained at the beginning of this chapter .and roll out your plan incrementally, you will see results as yougain momentum. The challenge comes when companies try todo everything at once and run out of resourcesor steam.Results dont happen overnight. In Chapters 6 through 10, Iwalk you through all the steps needed to create measurableresults.Fear 11: Can I really make money using social media?In the end, the reality is that you get out of social media what you invest in it. Brian Solis, author of Engage 45. This fear is last on my list here but is by no means least! In fact, itsprobably the primary reason that many CEOs and business owners give upprematurely when attempting to integrate social media marketing. Theyrelooking for quick results; theyve been told you can roll out a fast and easycampaign, buy a list, buy fans and followers, run a contest, and watch themoney start pouring in. This is simply not true. Social media ROI (return oninvestment) is a very hot topic in the blogosphere, and there is a variety ofopinions and approaches to measuring true ROI. My friend Brian Solis talksabout the importance of knowing exactly what it is you want to measure.6Y have to know what your I iswhat exactly are you investing in? And, ouyou have to know what your R ishow will you know when youve madethat return?Chapter 1 SummaryPeople: Be clear about your target markets technographics. Are they engagingonline where you think they are? Conduct due diligence before you spend time orresources creating your social media proles.Objective: Have clear objectives about what you want to accomplish for yourcompany, brand, and products.Strategy: Create a strategy to grow your number of followers and contact list;dont just create a prole and wait for the magic to happen.Technology: Use the knowledge of where your target market is to spend themajority of your time with the accounts that will reap the biggest rewardsbe itFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or another social networking platform.Fears: Identify and alleviate your core fears. Seek resources and advice. Themore you learn about eective social media marketing, the less intimidating itwill be. 46. Chapter 2 The New Business Skills Everyone NeedsSocial Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.Brian Solis, author of EngageDeveloping and exhibiting the abilities known as soft skills has always been animportant aspect of business success. And n Cuccowadays, with social networking atthe hub of our business world, these qualities are more important than ever.But what exactly are these soft skills? Heres the denition from Wikipedia.org:Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a persons EQ (EmotionalIntelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces,communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism thatcharacterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hardskills (part of a persons IQ), which are the occupational requirements of ajob and many other activities.So in essence, soft skills are the aptitudes you use to build relationships with otherpeoplesomething thats incredibly important in establishing socia l networkingconnections. Build EmpathyThe most important thing in communication is to hear what isnt beingsaid. Peter F. DruckerMany online communicationsin both a personal and business contextarefragmented, eeting, and hasty; some even tend to ignore human emotions on bothends of the message. Interactions like text messaging, Twitter with its 140-characterlimit, status updates, and the hundreds of brief e-mails we receive daily require us topay attention and read between the lines to discern whats importantbut often leftunsaid.W need empathy in the business world now more than ever, because people are beingefar more open with everything they share in public through social sites. Expressingempathy allows us to draw others out, show that we care, open up new opportunities toserve our marketplace, and enhance our reputation as quality people and companies. 47. Business is essentially much more human than its ever been in history. (In fact, onetitle I had considered for this book was Business Is Personal.) When you look and listenclosely, youll discover that most everyone at the core has very similar wants and needsto be heard and understood, to belong, to know that they matter, and to make adierence.The following suggestions are a few seemingly simple but incredibly eective ways tobuild more empathy:Use peoples rst names. This is something I mention several times in this bookbecause its that important. A persons name is the sweetest-sounding word inhis or her en Btire vocabulary, and its a huge part of that persons identity. Whenyou use a persons rst name in a natural way during a conversation (online oroine), youll instantly build more rapport and empathy.Find out peoples rst names. Sometimes individuals inadvertently dont revealtheir rst name on their social prolesthey may use a nickname orbrand/business name. This is particularly true of Facebook pages that write onother pages. (See the Quick Tip that follows this list.) Do a quick Google searchand/or click through to the persons website or blog and look for the About orContact section; youll often nd the persons rst name this way.Find out just one fact about the person. Mention it to the person in a natural way.It could have something to do with the persons profession, education, likes,hobbies, or some other facet of his or her personality or preferences. Check thepersons bio on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn (depending on where youreinteracting), or try a quick Google search to gather more information about thecontact.Paying attention to someones communication style and spending just a second or twolonger with each person online allows you to signicantly increase the depth of genuinerapport you have with your network. For example, if Im not yet familiar with the personwhen replying to a tweet, I take one or two extra clicks to quickly scan the persons biobefore hitting the T weet button. In Figures 2.1 and 2.2, you can see my tweet to OwenClark asking if he is a fellow Canuck (a term we Canadians use to describe ourselves).Before sending my tweet to Owen, I glanced at his Twitter prole and saw that his city islisted as Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, he may be from anywhere in the world, butcurrently he lives in Canadasomething I would ordinarily have no way of knowing. But,if he were a native, he would know exactly where Kootenay Lake is (about 500 milesinland from Vancouver), which is where I spent my childhood.Quick TipWhen you are writing on other Facebook pages as your pageand your page is in thename of your business versus your actual namealways sign o your posts/commentswith your rst name. People would almost always rather interact with a person than acompany, and this allows others to better engage with you. 48. Figure 2.1 Owen Clarks (@ByzhubOwen) Twitter Bio Figure 2.2 Owens Tweet Back to Me 49. Even though my tweet seems short and simple, I put a fair bit of thought into it beforewriting and posting by considering the following:I was responding to a previous tweet from Owen and started my reply withthanksa very powerful word that youll want to use as frequently as possible.In fact, thank you is even better, as it has the word you in it too!I used Owens rst name naturally.I found something that I had in common with him and asked a simple question toconrm if this fact was true.I shared a little about myself by letting him know where I spent my childhood.As you can see from Owens reply, he was impressed and replied with a wonderful warmmessage suggesting that we might meet up in person next time I was in the area.This type of response is a regular everyday occurrence in my online world because Igenuinely care and go out of my way to show it.Over time, youll become unconsciously competent with these habits too; the more youpractice, the better youll become. (Keep reading. My Eight Rules for Eective ElectronicCommunication are coming up!)Express Genuine Care 50. As important as it is to convey empathy, its equally vital to have genuine care at thecore of your own motives, because this comes across to others. For example, you wantto provide as much help and support as you can to anyone regardless of how inuentialor popular that person might bein other words, you want to treat everyone as equals.Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of Wine Library TV (tv.winelibrary.com), is the epitome ofgenuine care. Gary is often interviewed on national television and asked how hemanages to monetize social media. His response is simple: Because I care. Althoughthis statement completely baes his interviewers, thats essentially what Gary does. Hehustles and goes the extra mile in all his online and oine endeavors. Gary now runsa successful new media agency, VaynerMedia, helping major brands replicate hissuccesses.Give to Others Without Having an AgendaTheres a magical concept in social media that I call social equity and that someothers have labeled social capital. This concept states that while youre contributingvalue to everyone and anyone on a regular basis, youre also gaining cred Bitsamong your network and community at large. Sooner or later, you will be greatlyrewarded from the collective whole. The people you helped will not necessarily be theones who then reciprocate or buy from you; rather, the exact right prospect or mediaopportunity will come to you. This notion is generally understood as the law of Karma orlaw of reciprocity in action.Have an Inclusive AttitudeI cant hear what youre saying as who you are speaks so loud. GoetheHaving an inclusive, win-win attitude shows to others the essential place from whichyou come insideyour intentions in interacting with people. This kind of approachentails having and exhibiting a desire to add value and help others as much as yourehelping yourself. Consider the quote from Goethe; other people can sense ifor whenyou have a hidden agenda that involves getting something for yourself or trying totrick others into taking an action thats not in their best interests. In this situation, itwont matter how good your content is and how much you engage otherssince theywill likely be able to sense that youre watching out for you and no one else.In his book Tribes,1 author Seth Godin states that people can smell the agenda of aleader. I believe that all these online social tools have forced us as a society to bemore authentic and more transparent. Maybe forced is not the right word, necessarily,as surely everyone wants to be more real, right? Whats happening, though, is just as 51. Seth describes, the moment someone has an agenda, people can tell. Of course, ifyour agenda is positive, thats a good thing and you want people to notice!A couple of years ago when Twitter was becoming more popular, I came across a guywho was aggressively building his Twitter following and connecting on what seemed likea very supercial level. His tweet stream was nothing but a constant barrage of one- ortwo-word tweets like Whats up? or Hey! He would do the same on Facebook. Anytime I was on the receiving end of these super-short attempts at connection, I couldfeel this persons agenda. He was going for sheer volume; his approach was motivatedby numbers rst, people second. It certainly appeared as though he was becoming Mr.Popular, but his real agenda was to enroll everyone in his network marketing (MLM)business. He just seemed to have no substance or anything of value to oer hiscommunity. On the other hand, there are those true leaders who manage to scaletheir caring as Gary Vaynerchuk says. Both he and Chris Brogans tweet streams areoften lled with super-short tweets engaging large volumes of their followers in anygiven session. But they also share tremendously valuable content too, and theiragenda is dierent; the genuine care is evident. Gary and Chris are known names andhave a reputation for being real.Use DiscernmentDrawing on my ne command of the English language, I said nothing.Robert BenchleyYour reputation is more crucial now than it has ever been. As such, you need to beparticularly discerning about (1) whose content you choose to share online and (2)which people and brands you choose to interact and associate with.I have a somewhat wide-eyed belief that everyone is a good person at his or her core.Yes, even the most obnoxious and negative people; somewhere under that roughexterior is a well-intentioned individual who is either emotionally wounded or is goingthrough a rough time.However, you have to be strategic in business. If someone is particularly mean andnegative, puts others down, foists his or her opinion on everyone, or throws his or herego around, it just doesnt make sense to befriend that person. Its best to just moveon and ignore such behavior. Be careful not to react and lash back as I mention in Rule8 of the Eight Rules for Electronic Communication section: because when emotions goup, intelligence goes down!If you choose to engage someone who has somewhat of a bad reputation, onlookersmight have a tendency to tar you with the same brush. Its important in cases suchas these to truly hone and utilize your intuition or gut feeling. Take care when choosingwhat to share and who to friend or follow. 52. Communicate Clearly and ConciselyOne of the vital skills that Twitter has essentially forced us all to develop is the ability tocommunicate clearly and concisely. Because each message is limited to just 140characters, you have to get your point across with fewer words and ensure that othersdont misconstrue or take the message out of context. Remember: Tweets are visible tothe entire online worldand you never know when a potential client might be tuning into a part of your conversation.I recommend limiting your use of text talk, which is dialogues via text messaging withcreative use of abbreviations and alphanumeric characters. Text talk has becomewidely popular since the growth of SMS (short message service sent between mobilephones). Certainly, before we had smartphones with full QWERTY keyboards, text talkhad its place. And thats just the way that many kids, teens, and younger peoplecommunicate. But make no mistake: T talk has no place in the business world.extI found this denition of text talk on UrbanDictionary.com rather amusingly accurate:Widely un-understandable, it abbreviates as much as possible leaving acode which only the author can decrypt. Though it does help the authorwrite it quickly, the recipient must undergo strenuous investigation to beable to reply in an equally confusing manner until the competition ofconfusion gets to such a point, that their grammatically incorrect mindsexplode a little more.Everything you do sends a message and communicates something about you tofriends and followers. If your online social updates are riddled with typos, grammaticalor factual errors, acronyms, jargon, and text talk or are just generally unclear, thenyou wont stand out (at least, not in a positive way!). Your message will get drowned outalong with all the other online noise. Plus, youll be unintentionally conveying to yourprospective customers and community that you and your business are sloppy, fuzzy,and freneticwhich is the last thing you want! Keep reading: This book includesnumerous and detailed guidelines for eective writing on social media platforms andavoiding these communication pitfalls.Messages y by in the blink of an eye on social sitesTwitter, in particular. So, in ourattention-based society, its important to limit your communication to a small numberof interesting, powerful, and engaging messages tha t increase your chances ofstanding out.Check Spelling and GrammarI strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with commonly misspelled words andgrammar errors. If you already know youre excellent at spelling and grammar, thenthats ne. However, it wouldnt hurt to ask an editor or trusted friend to read over your 53. tweets, Facebook updates, and blog posts from time to time to check for anyoversights you may be making. With your blog posts, you may wish to enlist theongoing services of an editor to ensure quality. My friend Michael (Mike) Stelzner,founder of the wildly popular online magazine SocialMediaExaminer.com, lters all blogposts submitted for his site through ve editors! Hes built a stellar reputation forquality and turns down more guest writers for his website than he accepts. It pays o:Mike has built a substantial business in a little over 18 months that has become one ofthe top business blogs on the Internet.Ive included a couple of helpful infographics in this section; to see these images fullsize and in color, go to Relationship MarketingBook.com/free.The infographic in Figure 2.3 illustrates the 15 most misspelled words2 : Figure 2.3 15 Most Misspelled Words 54. And these are eight commonly misused words as featured in the infographic in Figure2.4 by Onlineschooling.net3 : Compliment/Complement Accept/Except Emigrate/Immigrate Flair/Flare Fewer/Less Its/Its 55. Flammable/InammableLie/LayFigure 2.4 Eight Commonly Misused Words 56. It always pays to hesitate a moment before pressing that Send, Post, or Update button.A typo could be misconstrued and/or have a negative impact on your reputation.Typically, though, those who know you well will forgive you for the occasional typo.I attended an event recently where I tweeted golden nuggets from legendary authorand motivational speaker Brian T racy. In my haste, I missed the last s on the wordassess in the tweet shown in Figure 2.5. I usually see a signicant number of retweetson many of my tweets, but I noticed not much was happening with this tweet. Then Isaw a couple of my followers alert me that I might want to redo the tweet with thecorrect spelling of assess. Oops! I quickly deleted the rst tweet and replaced it with theright one.Figure 2.5 Corrected Tweet 57. Follow My Eight Rules for Eective Electronic CommunicationWhenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. Thomas JeersonT make sure you get heard and make eective connections with the right people oonline, do the following each time you post content online: Force yourself to hesitate fora second and apply as many of these following eight rules as you feel is appropriate. 58. 1. Replace any text talk with proper words. For example,replace btw every1 lmk wot dis means 2Uur gr8! with Bythe way, everyone let me know what this means to youyouare great! (Actually, I do use btw fairly often, along with LOLfor laughing out loud. But thats about it.)2. Spell out acronyms. Never assume that everyone knows exactly what youracronym means. Of course, there are exceptions in particularindustries. But my recommendation is to think about howsomeone who knows nothing about your businessbut couldbe a hot prospectwould read your message.Given that Twitter allows only 140 characters for eachupdate, there are many acceptable acronyms andabbreviations used on this site, including: ab or abt = about b4 = before b/c = because btw = by the way chk = check cld = could clk = click deets = details DM = direct message EM/eml = e-mail F2F = face to face (as in meeting someone in person) FTW = for the win FWIW = for what its worth FYI = for your information fwd = forward IDK = I dont know 59. IKR = I know, right?IM = instant messageIMHO = in my humble opinion (also IMO = in my opinion)itz = it isIRL = in real life (also RL = real life)JK or j/k = just kiddingK = okay (also kk)lmk = let me knowLOL = laughing out loudLMAO = laughing my ass oNP = no problemn/m = never mindOH = overheardOMG = oh my god/goshOT = o topicpeeps = peoplepple = peopleprops = proper respectplz = pleaseR = areRT/retweet = when you repeat a tweet from someone elseshld = shouldthx/tx = thanksTIA = thanks in advanceTMI = too much informationtweeps/tweeple = peeps/people (on Twitter) 60. TY = thank you (also Tks/Thx) Tweetup = an in-person meet up of Twitter members U = you ur = your w or w/= with wth = what the heck YW = youre welcome YVW = youre very welcomeFor a more complete list of acronyms and abbreviations, goto RelationshipMarketingBook.com/free.3. Keep your reading level at or below that of a high-schoolstudent. Many readability formulas are available to check yourlevel. Shorter sentences with plain English work best. See thisresourceforfurther information:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Readability. Read aloud if necessary. Giventhe fact that most of us learned to read out loud as children,most people read by silently reading aloud in their head.Anytime you wish to double-check for clarity, just read yourmessage out loud to help you catch any edits you may needto make.4. Do the contextual test. Before hitting that Post button,check for possible hidden meanings in whatever it is youvewritten. For the most part, youre going to know whensomething could have a double entendre. But I recommendbeing alert of this lter and steering clear of anyphrases/messages that could easily be taken the wrong way.5. Do the ego test. Sadly, the Internet is lled with me, me, me peopleespecially since social media has become so prevalent andeveryone now has a platform for their voice. It can betempting to let our egos take over, toot our own horns,crush the competition, or attempt to beat others down in aneort to make ourselves look good. But this behavior justattracts more ego-based people and can drive potentialcustomers and community members away. 61. Keep in mind that a display of excessive ego is essentially fear-based: fear of not getting ahead, fear of being left behind, fear of not being seen, even fear of being seen! Once you B7;re aware that these fears may be driving you and others around you, you can have much more compassion and empathy and learn not to take things personally.Bottom line: Dont spend too much time talking about yourself. Spend most of your time talking to others about what interests them. Do your best to consider this ego test guideline and focus on creating a deep intent of adding value and building others up. Y oull end up creating a warm, personable, approachable positioning in the marketplace and establishing a reputation as someone who is humble and treats everyone as equals. (Of course, this has to authentically reect who you are!) More o