Whether it’s your Facebook page, your blog, your Linkedin group, or your private brand community, your social media home base operates like a sports bar.
You first go to a sports bar for the amenities. The TVs. The food. The beer selection. But you return again and again not for the elements that brought you initially, but for the people. The regulars. The characters. The waitresses.
In my pre-fatherhood days, I used to go to a place called Big Daddy’s in north Phoenix. It was a little sketchy, but the food was decent, the beer was cold, and it was within walking distance. Then one Sunday, an ancient regular sitting across from me accidentally caught his oxygen mask on fire while trying to light a cigarette, and created an impromptu flame thrower that almost burned Big Daddy’s down. That’s the kind of humanity that builds loyalty.
Come for the Brand. Stay for the People
Social media is about community. And the connection between your customers and your company isn’t one.
Sure, interest in your brand will get customers to investigate your brand community (as long as you give them a rationale). But unless you facilitate connections between your customers, and let them build bridges between one another, they’ll show up, have a couple drinks, and keep moving.
I’m no visual information genius like David Armano, but I’ll try to represent this difference graphically. Here’s how the relationship between companies and their customers has historically been structured:
Here’s how that relationship changes in social media (which is an improvement, but still not ideal):
How Can You Build a Triangle?
This is what you want. This is a community. This is sustainable:
To build the triangle, you need to find ways to not just humanize your company, but put a spotlight on your customers. How can you get your customers telling the story of your brand from their perspective, not yours? Can you interview your customers? Create a directory of them? Let them help one another solve problems? Introduce them to one another? Encourage them to meet up or tweet up in their own towns?
Make Your Customers the Star, Not the Brand
Here’s an easy, relevant example from The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, a Facebook group for homeschoolers. They feature a member each week, and tell their story via a Facebook note, giving the community the opportunity to learn more about that person and how homeschooling impacts their family.
How can you shine the light on your customers and build a triangle community? What examples have you found?
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RT @jaybaer The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Consulting – Co… [link to post]
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RT @Phatmommy @jaybaer The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule | Social Media Marketing/ Consulting – Co… [link to post]
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Make your customers the star, not the brand RT @jaybaer The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule. [link to post]
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rt @SPARKt RT @jaybaer: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule. [link to post]
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Jay, any additional thoughts on how to engage customers in conversations? I like what you’ve presented, but I’m struggling. I’ve got the Fan Page. We’re on Twitter. We’re starting to blog. We’ve got a growing file of YouTube videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/SSDSBoston). But I can’t seem to engage folks in conversation. Perhaps some brands are better suited toward conversations? Perhaps some brands have a small but engaged group who carry the majority of the conversation? Perhaps my brand has too small a customer group and I need to figure out a way to bring the conversation to the ‘masses’? I’m trying to engage folks but it’s more difficult than I expected. I agree 100% with the framework you present. The hard part is making it happen. Thanks, Jay …
Nice illustration of connected community relationships
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RT @schoolmarketer: Math is not my forte, but @jaybaer helps bring some clarity: The Geometry of Social Media. [link to post]
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Reason #1,254 why I miss working with @jaybaer everyday [link to post]
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Math is not my forte, but @jaybaer helps bring some clarity: The Geometry of Social Media. [link to post]
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RT @ShellyKramer RT @schoolmarketer: Math is not my forte, but @jaybaerhelps :…The Geometry of Social Media. [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule. [link to post] (<3 the line: Come for the Brand. Stay for the People)
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RTThe Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule. [link to post] (via @jaybaer) >>>> Good point.
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The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule [link to post]
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The Geometry of Social Media [link to post]
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What shape are your social media relationships? @jaybaer says they should be triangles – [link to post]
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Before you connect your customers it’s important to understand what your customers care about.
You think about some topic you and they care about and then build a community around that topic to bring them together and help each other.
Jorge Barba´s last blog ..What to know to spread the word for your event
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What shape is your social media community? @jaybaer says Triangles! [link to post]
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Though you can certainly build relationships with customers through the use of social media, there are still other industries that can’t do it as easily as they like. Pharmaceutical companies might want to do that, but regulations and lawyers always come to stop them in the process. Customer Customer is one thing, but Customer Brand is a whole different ball game.
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RT@CourtneyXun The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule | Social Media … [link to post]
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Making your customers, not your brand, the star. RT @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post] (I ♥ Triangles)
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Geometry & social media, who knew? RT @jaybaer What shape is your social media community? [link to post] (I ♥ Triangles)
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RT @jaybaer: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule. [link to post] For NPOs, it’s about how to make donors the star.
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The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule | Social Media …: Social Media Strategy Blog Social Media C.. [link to post]
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The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule [link to post] (via @jaybaer). Fantastic article!
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RT @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post] (I ♥ Triangles)
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As you mentioned, you need to let the customers shine, not your brand. Your whole focus in marketing should be letting your customers be the hero and have your product assist them in their tasks. Then you can build your triangle of community between your customers as they share in their hero-isms.
Elizabeth´s last blog ..Email marketing to mobile devices…why it will fall short
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RT @jaybaer The Geometry of Social Media [link to post]
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Your social media home base operates like a sports bar: [link to post] (via @jaybaer )
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RT @spiral16: Your social media home base operates like a sports bar: [link to post] (via @jaybaer )
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.@jaybaer gave me the tingle w his “triangle”. It’s what I want “Thrive Online” 2 be: a comm of ppl helping each other. [link to post]
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The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule – [link to post]
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RT @jmctigue: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule – [link to post]
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RT @TWalk RT @jmctigue: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule – [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post]
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From Jay Baer of Convince & Convert: The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: Your brand isn’t the star of the social media show – your customers are. [link to post] – Oh so true, but often missed
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RT @jaybaer: Your brand isn’t the star of the social media show – your customers are. [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post] (I ♥ Triangles — Me too, easier on the eye!)
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Interesting, good points. RT @CubanaLAF: RT @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post]
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RT @BethHarte @jaybaer: What shape is your social media community? [link to post] (I ♥ Triangles – Me too, easier on the eye!)
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Your brand isn’t the star of the social media show – your customers are. [link to post] (via @jaybaer)
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Your brand isn’t the star of the social media show – your customers are. [link to post] (via @jaybaer @idvirtual)
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RT @lift9ed: RT @jaybaer The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule | Social Media Marketing | … [link to post]
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Gr8 post on how 2 build a community 4 your brand: RT @jaybaer Your brand isn’t the star of the sm show-your customers R [link to post]
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Your brand isn’t the star of the social media show – your customers are. [link to post] (via @jaybaer @idvirtual)
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The Geometry of #SocialMedia – Why Triangles Rule: [link to post]. #sCRM #communities
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Convince & Convert | The Geometry of Social Media – Why Triangles Rule [link to post] #socialmedia #tips #marketing
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The relationship between the customer and the brand is, and always will be, a commercial relationship where value is exchanged for value. One form of value, that you are pointing out here, is facilitating the interaction between like minded customers. Great post.
James Hipkin´s last blog ..Five Pillars for Business Innovation
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Jay Baer post: The geometry of social media. Come for the brand, stay for the people [link to post]
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