Social media is a two-edged sword. If you have a great product or service, people will talk about it and it works on your behalf. On the other hand, if what your selling is crap, people will talk about it and it fights you till the death. Social media doesn’t build companies and/or organizations a great product and/or service does. Social media just allows people to echo their opinions–faster! And the worst thing is…to be all hype with no substance.
Look at Jesus at Work
Jesus sat at a well waiting for His disciples and while waiting He met a Samaritan woman. They started a conversation and before long He shared with her His message:
“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
His product sounded so appealing that she immediately asked to buy: “’Please, sir,’ the woman said, ‘give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.‘” After some more conversation she left to tell everyone about Him:
“The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ‘Come and see a Man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?’ So the people came streaming from the village to see Him.”
And because of word-of mouth “many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ‘He told me everything I ever did!’ When they came out to see him, they begged Him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear His message and believe.”
But keep in mind: a good marketing campaign is not enough! If your marketing is effective but your product is not…you will lose ENORMOUS social capital! Trust will be broken and you’ll have to redouble your efforts just to gain it back!
When the Samaritans finally tried what Jesus was offering, look what happened: “Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world.’”
My Own Experience
A couple of months ago I was looking for someone to build a new site for me. I spoke with many people: most said they’d give me a good price…they threw numbers at me. Then I met David Tonen. He was different. He asked me about my needs: what was I building it for, what’s my time frame, who are you looking to attract, and etc.I was impressed.
And every step of the way he’s continued to impress me. He’s completely exceeded my expectations. He lived up to his hype.
But what if David’s hype (or marketing) didn’t live up to his product, what would have happened?
Well, you probably wouldn’t know about him now. And if you did, it wouldn’t be in this positive light!
In this age where information can travel around the world with the click of a button, it pays not to cut corners. It pays to exceed expectations. It pays to BE what you SAY you are.
Yeah, I know this is a big plug for David…but he’s earned it.
So what’s the #1 reason to stop using Social Media?
Easy.
Your product sucks!
What are your thoughts?
[Image: Search Engine Watch
