The Human Influence in Social Media

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As amazing and intuitive as social media is today, it certainly cannot flourish without humans getting involved. Social media is a tool and a vehicle. It can take you only so far and then you have to do the rest.

Social media as an amplifier

If you have a wonderful product and/or service, as well as the content that is relevant to that product and/or service, social media will amplify it and cause it to stand out and be distinguished from everyone else’s offerings. Social media can take what you have and really make it sing by reaching a large amount of people who are interested in your brand message and the value that you and your business hold. If you already have the right formula (the right story, wonderful products and/or services, and the best people in your organization), social media can help you and your business to become a great success. Social media can do this by creating, growing and advancing your path to success. On the other hand, if you don’t have the right story, the greatest products and/or services and the most appropriate people in your organization, social media will amplify those attributes and that could cause your business to fail (or at the very least, not do well).

Social media and closing the sale

Everyone understands that social media, while it is an extremely valuable tool, cannot do all of the work when it comes to closing a sale. After conversations have taken place and you have been introduced to people with whom you want to do business, only  you (the human being) can close the deal. You do this by engaging your prospective clients, listening to what they need and want, coming up with solutions for them and coming to an agreement of terms. If any part of this does not happen, it will be impossible to close any type of deal. Of course, it won’t matter at that point how much social media is involved.

Social media and brand creation

Social media (as an amplifier) has the wonderful ability to extend the hard work that you have already done. That extension can touch and influence many people at the same time. Before social media can work any kind of magic, however, the brand must be established and refined so that it is differentiated from all other brands. It needs to possess qualities that nobody else possesses. Whatever your business’s message is, it need to be compelling and enticing to your audience. It needs to touch people on an emotional level before you involve social media the way that it is meant to be leveraged. The success of your business depends totally on the strength and uniqueness of your brand. The interactivity that is established through social media will improve your chances of getting people to pay attention and eventually want to buy from you. However, it does enhance your ability to touch people and can produce phenomenal results.

Social media and your marketing strategy

Social media is not capable of building your marketing strategy. Only you are capable of that. You will build your strategy based on the experiences (positive and negative) that you have had over time. It takes a human being to do that. Social media can help you to really magnify and embellish what you have but it can’t take you from point “A” to point “B” by itself. Your business philosophy should never be that you try different things to see what works. Your strategy must be well thought out and carefully crafted.

Conclusion

There is absolutely no doubt that social media makes everything better. Social media is about relationships that can flourish without face-to-face interactions. However, those relationships cannot exist without the human influence. What you need to figure out is how involved you need to be as a human being and how involved you feel social media should be. Always remember that the human impact comes first. It is the catalyst for what follows afterward, the technological aspect of your business. The balance is a critical factor when it comes to the success of your business. It is also very important to understand your limitations as a human and those of social media when it comes to your business.

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

9 Responses

  1. Anne Egros says:

    Great insights,
    "Social media as an amplifier"   Everything you say on the internet should be consistent no matter what tools you use . A brand is not built overnight, it takes hard work once you have defined your value proposition for your target audience to communicate properly: I use LinkedIn , Twitter, I have a blog, Facebook, I comment on other people blogs, I have just started guest blogging.
    "Closing the sale":  I use pull communication, no push via email marketing or else. People,contact me based on what they read on social media,. People make 50% of their decision making process by contacting me. Then people get a free coaching session in person or on Skype and more than 90% of leads generated convert to clients after the complimentary session. 

  2. Neil Warren says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Online Lead Generation
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    I agree entirely with that Michael, if you follow the reading through my "I was surprised…" post …

    …and in keeping with my long-held belief that there is only so much any of us can buy from a (marketing) vending machine, before we need the services of a (sales) trusted adviser.
    Posted by Neil Warren

  3. Lisa Barnett says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Woman 2 Woman Business
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    I agree wholeheartedly. I define Social Media as a medium which allows people to gather together, using highly accessible technology to communicate and develop relationships. Without the people, you simply have technology.
    Posted by Lisa Barnett

  4. Deanna Lohnes says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Business Writers of America
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    I think the mistake a lot of companies make is not engaging. They use their Facebook page & twitter stream to promote their products and blog posts, but they don't interact. I've decided not to follow a number of companies because there are no RTs are @ replies in their stream. There is no human element to their presence.
    Posted by Deanna Lohnes

  5. Lesa Babb says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    True. I think of social media as a virtual neighborhood block party… where like minds connect and unlike minds find common ground. Without the Deadheads, The Grateful Dead would be just another rock n' roll band. People share what matters to them with the people who matter to them. The task for business leaders and entrepreneurs is to do worthwhile work… that is, work that inspires their fans to show up, again and again.
    Posted by Lesa Babb

  6. Carlostella Rosanna says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    Social media is fundamental nowadays, because it gives people the opportunity to achieve worldwide contacts and exchange opinions with a lot of other individuals. I think everybody agrees that social media is great. But we should be careful in using social media, because -it happens especially to young people- we may depend on it. This often happens with social networks, which replace real life and relationships with virtual ones. The danger is that people don't feel lonely, until they keep connected to the web.
    Life is also outside, let's not forget it!
    Posted by Carlostella Rosanna

  7. Laura Oliveto says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Online Advertising Professionals – North America
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    Amen. Succinctly and elegantly stated. A well-crafted social-media campaign takes a lot of human nurturing and constant tweaking, resulting from continuous and thorough analysis by a real human being.
    Posted by Laura Oliveto

  8. Darren Chabluk says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Facebook & Twitter For Business
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    Yes,social media makes everything better…And we just need to understand when and how to use it…
    Posted by Darren Chabluk

  9. Heidi Stenning says:

     

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Woman 2 Woman Business
    Discussion: The Human Influence in Social Media

    Absolutely. I work with clients to ensure that their personal brand is being marketed effectively on-line via social media, but the starting point is who they are and the value that they bring to those that count for them. Without the 'human' behind the story, it's nothing.
    Posted by Heidi Stenning