It isn’t about the numbers

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You will have people tell you that when it comes to social media, “It’s about the numbers.” But it truly isn’t. After a few years of being number driven I have learnt the power behind social media is, and will always be, with those people that you engage with on a regular basis.

There are “Social Media Experts” out there telling you to put out content every hour on Twitter  (schedule is your friend) and jump on if someone engages. They tell you to just chuck stuff online…Don’t worry about listening or engaging they say.

We have fallen into lazy habits of just shouting out what we want people to do and have forgotten that communication is a two way street. People think that putting out plenty of content will be the way to get potential customers in the door and for some that has worked.

But have we all forgotten that life is about the relationships we make both in personal friendships and in business? It is the relationship that is made between two people that truly helps the sale in business. It is the emotion and the feeling that a person gets when engaging with you that motivates an action towards purchase.

Don’t listen to those who tell you it’s about the numbers. There is no point following a whole lot of people who aren’t tuned in. You might as well follow no one because no one is listening!

I have started to unfollow all those on Twitter who never engage. It’s an arduous process because I have to look at each account’s tweet stream to see if they are just a robot putting out links every hour, or to see if they engage sometimes and put out links at other points. (That’s ok in my opinion.)

Of course there are a few who are an exception to these rules. There are those who put out regular, original content that I do want to see. (However if they are that good I usually follow them on Facebook so that I don’t miss their content.)

A truly engaged audience is more powerful than thousands of followers who aren’t reading and engaging with your content and interactions. People who care what you have to say,  people who you take time out to converse with, these people are the ones that make social media enjoyable and rewarding for your business.

In everything you do in this life whether personal or professional, make it ALL about the relationships. Online and offline. Take time to truly get to know the people you follow online and make the effort to engage them on the social media platforms you use.