Talking about social media marketing with people who are steeped in traditional marketing usually provokes expressions ranging from bewilderment to panic. The irony, of course, is that the primary skills you need to succeed in social media marketing are the same skills that everybody already has. They’re the skills that are essential to a healthy personal life: the ability to talk to and have meaningful relationships with other human beings.

Social Media Marketing: Basic Steps

Follow four basic steps with each project. Do this and your social media marketing efforts will succeed:

Listen

You don’t successfully join a conversation by interrupting or talking out of context. We conduct research to find out what people are talking about and how our clients can best add value to what’s already taking place. (This includes both technology and content considerations). Talking before you listen is a recipe for disaster, online and offline. On the other hand, knowing what already engages the community makes it much more likely that you’ll be welcomed.

Participate

Once you know what people are interested in hearing about and how they’re communicating with one another, you can start participating. But this isn’t a one-off; you must be committed to an ongoing conversation. The notion of the “campaign” has no place here. Your dialogue with the market may evolve over time, but if you’re lucky, it should never end. This may create some short-term staffing and budget issues, but a deep conversation with your consumers will so energize your staff that they’ll find the resources you need.

Influence

Once you’re participating and adding value to the conversation, you’ll begin to earn credibility. This may take a little while or a long time, depending on your business and the conversation you’re joining. Be patient. Once you’re participating, the real benefits start to accrue. That’s when you become a valued member, not just a marketer.

Act

If you take the first three steps successfully, you’ll be able to legitimately influence the conversation. If your involvement is appropriate because you’re actively listening and conversing, people will listen to you when you take action.

Social Media Marketing: Achieve Success

The surest way to achieve success is to review your proposed social media marketing program against these four steps. If your plans don’t include each one, you’re missing something.

Above all, think about how you talk to other people. How are good conversations made? What creates quality, engaging dialogue? In a fascinating twist, you’ll soon realize this brave new world actually abides by the same rules of socialization that have governed humans for thousands of years.