It seems the world has gone Cyber Friend mad and unless you have 1000’s of friends or followers you are considered to be behind in the new world.
Let’s just take a step back and apply the Facebook and Twitter approach to real life relationship building, would it work?
I know a few like this
So you’re at an exhibition and you see someone you have always wanted to do business with and using your new Facebook friend approach you walk up to them and say “Can I be Your Friend ? I have some photo’s you can look at if you like” Knowing some of the stalwart businessmen in our industry you would probably get a slap BUT should they agree to be a friend not sure how they would respond to you wanting to poke them every now and again !!
So the real life Facebook approach failed, so try the real life Twitter approach, you’re at the football and watching the players enter the ground followed by the WAG’s one of them is slightly famous and you say “Are you on Twitter ? Can I follow you?” She says yes and gives you her @username but you actually follow her into the club, then to her seat, then to the loo, then back to her seat then I am sure a nice security guard would give you the guided tour to the exit and perhaps a nice Judge would give you a restraining order.
And imagine your real friends keep giving you pointless updates in 140 characters or less “Watching Emerdale” “At Work” “Looking forward to Friday” “Had a curry last night loo roll in the fridge” Who blooming cares !!!
Please don’t get me wrong I love a bit of social networking and have activities in a few arenas but always prefer a chat or even pint with friends and customers, I have met some people I now call friends and customers over the interweb so that can’t be a bad thing.
I think what I am saying at is simple, while Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, LinkedIn, email marketing etc are all with us and are here to stay never forget the human touch, the old saying “People buy off people” sounds corny but it is true, don’t hide behind a Cyber Wall go and introduce yourself you never know where it might lead.
Alan Sadler
