Essentials Magazine Essentials Fall 2017 | Page 14

BY JACOB HANSON AND LISA SCHMUCKI
It’s Social Media,
Not a Commercial Message
T
wo guys walk into a bar…and talk all about themselves. Not the way the joke
goes, we know, but bear with us. How many people would want to spark up a
conversation with either of these bores when all they want to do is talk about
themselves? Not many, and definitely not the two of us. So why is it that so many
marketers and salespeople look at social media in a different way than a face-to-face
conversation, or presenting at a conference?
It was dubbed “social media” for good
reason. These channels are ideal for digital in-
teraction, sharing, collaborating, and so much
more. And it’s fine to use them for content
marketing, but they are not effective when
used as a sales channel. In fact, you will only
alienate the community if you post commercial
messages.
It’s easy to find good examples of the best
way to communicate. Search your Twitter,
Facebook, and LinkedIn, and see how those
who have