The Weight of Emotional Intelligence in Social Media Marketing

Emotional intelligence is not new. It has been a concept (and a reality) for a very long time. However, the only difference now is that it has a new name. That happens quite often with concepts as well as other, more tangible things. Maybe people just get tired of using the same names so switching it up makes it seem as though that particular thing is new again.

The definition of emotional intelligence

In the classic sense, emotional intelligence is the person’s ability to deal with and regulate their emotions as well as the emotions of other people. Of course, the second one is more difficult but it is not impossible, depending on the approach that is used.

Emotional intelligence gauges the person’s ability to predict the emotional reaction in any given situation. It is a developed skill and one that is so worthwhile because it helps you, the business owner (or even a professional who works for someone else) to have the upper  hand in the situation. If you can predict the emotional reaction of the other person, you can possibly skew the outcome of the situation. You may view that as manipulative but it is not manipulative in a negative sense. It basically just means that you are sensitive enough to understand what the other person wants and needs before that person is aware of what those things are. 

Being a sensitive person is a very positive thing and it should not be confused with being oversensitive. It means that you have the ability to put the wants, needs, and feelings of the other person ahead of your own, which, in turn, means that you can solve the other person’s problems relatively quickly and quite successfully. Because you are emotionally intelligent (sensitive), you probably have a calm demeanor, which will have a positive, calming effect on the other person. When emotions don’t cloud thoughts, real progress can be made in the situation. It also means that you can lead in the situation and, together, you can accomplish a great deal. The bottom line is that people only buy products and/or services from other people with whom they are able to connect emotionally.

How do you know if your social media marketing strategy is effective?

If you really have the drive to succeed while using social media marketing as one of your main tools, you need to first make sure that your social media marketing strategy is sound and that you can truly count on it to bring your business to the next level. The level of your emotional intelligence factors into your strategy in a very big way. There are a few important factors that you need to keep in mind as you are working your social media marketing strategy.

• Tell a really good story: Even though social media is a very important part of your social media marketing strategy, it is very important for you to remember that it is not your entire strategy. Of course, it has great potential to help you to succeed. One of the main purposes of your social media presence is to communicate your story to other people effectively. Of course, it goes without saying that your story must be extremely well written and interesting. However, it must also touch your readers on an emotional/human level.

  Your story (at least to some degree) needs to be the story of your readers as well. If the other person can relate to what you are writing, the chances are very good that they will want to deepen your relationship and start to interact with you directly and frequently. If you can demonstrate to your readers (through your story) that you understand what they have or are going through because you have been there yourself, you will get them to eat out of the palm of your  hand!

  The more closely your readers relate to your story, the more they will stick with you.

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  They will become excited about seeing what you have to offer next.

• Practice your listening skills: One of the most common (and most serious) issues is that people don’t listen to what the other person is saying and to what they want and need.

  If you learn how to listen instead of speaking first, it will serve you very well.

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  Once you have heard what the other person has said, it will be your turn to speak. Your patience will definitely pay off. If you have good listening skills (and practice those skills), you will not only learn what the other person wants and needs but you will also learn all sorts of other things from the other person. After all, that is only fair. You expect (and it is one of your main goals) to get the other person to listen to you and to reap the benefits of your expertise. So, why is it so ridiculous for the other person to expect the same thing from you? It is critical that you remember that it should be a dialogue, not a monologue. You should never be doing it to hear yourself. It is a valuable exchange of ideas (or, at least, it should be that).

• Make it your business to help the other person in any way that you can: Social media is amazing because the possibilities of what it can do for your business are almost endless. In fact, every time you interact with any one of your online connections, you are helping that person in some way. The good that you have done may not be immediately apparent but at some point, it will become obvious to you and to the other person. That is exactly how relationships are built and sustained. In the spirit of the concept of “one hand washes the other,” if you help the other person, they will want to return the favor and help you in some way.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence is an aspect of your overall social media marketing strategy that you simply cannot do without. It gives you your ability to connect with the other person on a human/emotional level and without that connection, you will not be able to go anywhere with the other person. Not only is it critical for you to have developed emotional intelligence skills but it is also extremely important that you surround yourself with people who have developed their sensitivity to the same extent. If you can manage to convince the other person that they will be much better off by accepting what you are offering, you will have an enduring relationship.

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