Social Media Marketing – How 9 + 9 = 99

Social Media has changed the world of marketing.  Marketing has changed because what used to work is outdated.  But what does work is a lot better.  Let me explain.

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An old saying that many speakers on that proverbial “speakers circuit” used was, “If you keep on doing what you’ve already done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve already got.”  Well, that seemed to be true at first brush.  However, if you’re in an environment that is shifting, changing and constantly morphing into something new, what got you to the level of success you have now might be so outdated that it not only doesn’t work — it can harm you.

A good example of that is the old model of “push” selling.  It used to be that the salesman with the loudest voice — the best shouter  won attention.  Broadcast more and you get business.  Scream louder on the radio and you sell more (Ugh!  Remember those repulsive commercials?).  This pattern of push selling became so prominent that it attracted a very negative phrase. If you didn’t like a particular salesman you’d say he was a “pushy” salesman.  Perhaps that label was appropriate.

Then there was the next evolutionary admonition to use “pull marketing.” The idea was that instead of pushing something on prospects, you’d entice them.  Sometimes this was with a free offer or an “ethical bribe,” as many Internet Marketers have said.  Pull marketing was a shade better than push but still had its share of problems.

Today, successful marketing is not push.

It is not even pull.

Today successful marketing is about “pairing.”  Successful Relationship Marketing is about bringing people together to pair them up for mutual benefits.  People want to be around others who share common interests.  People want to be around people they like.  People want to find out more about products and services that will help them.

Pairing hungry people with a great restaurant is a great idea for both parties.  Pairing business people who need a competitive advantage with a new technology that helps them leap ahead is great for business.  This is where 9 + 9 can equal a lot more than 18.  It is like Napoleon Hill’s Mastermind Group concept.  Bringing the right people together creates a new entity that is bigger and better than the sum of those involved.  Yes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  9 + 9 = 99.

Matching people who can help is what Relationship Marketing is all about.  It is not push.  It is not even pull.  Today, it is about pairing.

Dr. Tom Stanley, co-author of the best-selling Millionaire Next Door — and my favorite marketing professor when I attended Georgia State — said that we have to be the hub of our network.  Successful people often are the center of a hub to connect people.  You just like to be around them.  These “hub centers” seem to know everyone and if you need a particular banker, dentist, carpenter or whoever, that “hub center” is the person to know.

Move from “push” and “pull” marketing to pairing.  Find ways you can connect wonderful people with each other.  This is what Social Media is all about.  Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin all do this in many wonderful ways.  That’s why they are growing so fast.  As you pair others, they will naturally feel good about helping you.  This is what Relationship Marketing (I call it “R-Commerce”) is all about.  Find the needs of others.  Listen to their needs and desires. Then think about how you can match them with the resources to achieve their goals.

Amazing how you get more of what you want as you help others get what they want.  This is the beauty of life and business. Pairing precedes profitability.

Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: @TerryBrock.  Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock