The first megaphone or bullhorn as it became known, was invented by Thomas Edison in the latter part of the 1800’s. The obvious intent was to amplify the human voice, so an individual could be heard above the roar of the crowd. Throughout its history, the megaphone has been used as a means of directing, controlling and inciting people to action- often whether they wanted it or not. Regardless of the specific use, the common effect was to interrupt, override and dominate the situation. I mean after all, it’s hard to have an intimate chat with someone who’s using a bullhorn. 
When improperly approached, social media can be a lot like a bullhorn. Some companies and individuals, see social media as a means of amplifying their voice above the crowd and interrupting the dialogue only to further their own agenda. They burst into social networks ignoring the current conversation, broadcast a self-serving message and move on. They refer to social media as “social marketing” and think of it as a modern-day home for the thirty-second commercial … in your face whether you want it or not. The net effect of this approach is negative.
Good social media is not about dominating the conversation but rather furthering it. The point isn’t to amplify your voice but instead to add your voice, enriching the collective dialogue. It’s not a tool to broadcast thinly-veiled product and service plugs for your company; it’s a forum to share your experience with people who care. Smart companies know this.
My advice to retail clients who are just starting out in social media is:
1. Share with those that care: Using forums like your personal Facebook network to broadcast company marketing messages is like handing out business cards at a wedding. You probably won’t gain customers and you might just lose friends. Luckily, there are networks or nodes for just about every specialized interest you can imagine. If you sell shoes, talk to people who are interested in shoes. If you sell software, join tech forums and share your expertise with people who need your help. Chances are only a small percentage of your friends are potential customers anyway so why jeopardize your relationship with them? If your friends choose to support you, your company or brand, then it’s a win-win.
2. Don’t think of it as “social marketing”: Social media is merely content in various formats created by ordinary people using scalable technologies. It’s not necessarily marketing. In fact, part of the power of social media lies in it’s dissimilarity to conventional media and marketing vehicles. First and foremost your social media should share helpful, useful content that people like. Over time you’ll gain trust and influence. Eventually this earned influence may convert to business but this shouldn’t be your starting goal.
3. Don’t mistake viral for fast: There’s a misconception that social media spreads ideas like wild-fire. This isn’t always the case. Don’t become frustrated if you don’t get an immediate response to your message. It can take time and you need to resist the temptation to hard-sell in an effort to speed it up. Hard-selling will in most cases, have the opposite effect.
4. Be transparent: If there’s an idea, product or service that you believe strongly in and want to sell people over to, then be honest about it. There’s nothing wrong with that. People will trust you because your motives are sincere and transparent. However, don’t try to cleverly or discreetly work promotional activity into the conversation. It’s conspicuous and you may end up losing the trust you’re working so hard to gain.
5. Measure relationships: Don’t think of success in terms of clicks, page-views or unique visitors. It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. Shoot for a hundred people that love you rather than a thousand people who tolerate you. In time you’ll notice your ideas and content are being shared, followed and commented on. This is by far the best measure of success. Quantity will come but only through quality.
Don’t look to social media to amplify your voice. Instead, use it to share meaningful thoughts, ideas and content with people who care. Remember, a whispered word from a trusted source will drown out the loudest bullhorn every time.
