I’ve heard some reference the concept of “build it and they shall come” in regards to social media while speaking with newcomers, trying to set the stage for how someone should get involved.

I’d like to shove these lemmings an extra push off the cliff.

You can build to your heart’s content setting up forums, blogs, communities, video share, podcasts etc and still be void of connection. That connection is the nucleus of social media.

Social media is about direct engagement to establish connection, where we’re all soldiers crawling through the social trenches in order to connect, converse and create a network of survival.

It really couldn’t be more simple – engaging conversation (regardless of the business) draws people to you.

I think as long as there is social media there will continue to be people that continue to struggle with engagement. It’s no different from those who don’t understand that concept of the cocktail party or the dinner party (or any party) and can’t seem to manage their social connections in that environment.

You simply can’t build “it” and expect everything to work smashingly well. “It” does nothing. “It” is just a tool. That tool has to be used properly to build relationships, otherwise the message being broadcast falls on deaf… eyeballs.

There’s 5 steps toward building that relationship and sealing a foundation for success in social media marketing.

Social Media Connection Step #1 - Connecting

Social Media marketing is all about starting connections up through sites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, LinkedIn, etc. Keep in mind of course that there are unending niche sites within the social sphere that are considered a slice of the proverbial pie. Regardless of where you go however, connection is required before you can make any other moves.

Social Media Connection Step #2 - Conversing With The Masses

This is one of the first failures in social media connection for a number of people and businesses alike. This is where the whole conversation starts between you and another individual or organization and it should never start off on you.

Talk about the prospect and what they want to talk about. Garner information on who they are, what they like, what they do and what they want. At some point you’re going to want to identify your buyers a little more specifically for marketing purposes. Understanding more up front can save you a lot of time in learning how to engage them.

Just remember that in order to absorb that information, you have to be listening when they are communicating with you. People know when you’re staying engaged, and they know when they’re being listened to.

Social Media Connection Step #3 Sell The Value, Not The Product

Even in a presell environment like social media, marketing efforts need to have either an obvious or subtle sense of value that acts like a magnet. People you connect with and engage really need to understand that what you’re saying and doing can expand their realm of influence. Along with that, place emphasis on the fact that you can improve their life and broaden their own perspective through education and information.

At the very least, make them laugh their ass off.

Whatever you do, work to make the lives of your followers easier either through practical teaching or giving them opportunities to improve the reach of their dreams. That value can go a long way toward building credibility and trust.

Social Media Connection Step #4 The Shrinking Funnel

As that “Sales” funnel shrinks and you’re drawing people in closer, there’s a good chance that they’ll bail on your. That chance increases dramatically the closer they get to the end.

The conversion is vital – if you want to be in business then you need to convert customers.

Make it easy on yourself and pull a Godfather. Give them an offer that they absolutely cannot refuse. It’s your business and you’re in control of your pricing, inventory, shipping, etc. So make the offer compelling enough that if they say no it’s because they just don’t have the money to do it and no other reason.

The secret part of the recipe is pretty obvious – it’s the word “give”. If you want to get a customer’s business, you have to be willing to give.

Social Media Connection Step #5 Snagging The Customer

So you got the customer reeled in and they’re yours. The funnel is compete, they made a purchase and the conversion is done. This is another area where business owners seem to falter.

This is not the end of the relationship building process – this is the beginning. If you want to see the customer again, and if you want them to refer you to others to expand the reach of your business then you have to continue the engagement.

So many copywriters and business owners get this wrong when developing sales pages. The entire purpose is the get them to whip out their credit card and order that second because they absolutely must get it now.

That’s great for conversions, but what kind of a relationship will you build? Do you think the odds of a repeat business and referrals will be anything close to those that come from a sale based on a stronger relationship, credibility and trust?

This is where your approach becomes even less about sales (because you’ve already closed a sale) and more about the direct business to buyer relationship. Encourage them to stay in touch, thank them in any way you can (even if it’s free product or offers) and get them addicted to the value of doing business with you.

That value, after all, is what starts the whole process all over again.

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