Recycling: You’re Doing It Wrong.

“Oh-but-it’ll-never-work” social media squawking now is exactly the same as it was a decade ago with websites. I’ve talked about these recycled excuses for a year now.

The main reason why people are afraid to is “but we’ll lose control, and then be responsible for all the stuff people say!”

But just like that’s a recycled excuse for “it’s too hard”, the “and there’s no point” reason is also recycled. People who don’t see the value say “but there’s no opportunity for branded sales!”

And sometimes, there isn’t. But that’s not the point. The point is that what you COULD do with a website, and what you CAN do with social media, is sell so MORE than just your product. You can sell your customers on YOU – IF you can figure out how to become a valuable part of their lives.

I get a text every two weeks to change my contacts. I get a Tweet to test my smoke alarm. I get advice from my framing company on which photo paper to use.

I get answers when I need them. I get help. I get VALUE. And that makes me a raving fan, and raving fans talk.

This is public relations. And that’s the problem: the same people who don’t see the point of PR don’t see the point of this.

You can’t always count how many people buy a product or service because they saw an article about it, or because their friends talked about it, or because the company did something out of the ordinary for them.

But you know that that’s often exactly how it works in your own life. That’s how it works for all of us.

Positive opinion communicated – that’s what makes a difference. And THAT’s what social media can do.

If you’re going to recycle, think back to how you slowly realized how the Web could be a useful tool. Now recycle that realization.