Last week, on the social networking system called Twitter, I saw something interesting happen. I’ve seen this before, but it happened at the right moment. A mutual connection on Twitter, Mari Smith, needed some business cards. Mari couldn’t get a hold of her normal printer, so she put out a message on Twitter for recommendations. Laura Beulke turned out to be one of the people recommended. Laura is a Twitter user also, and told Mari that should could help her get new cards in a snap.
The two were able to create a win/win situation. Mari got her cards fast and Laura got a new customer. But what I don’t think Laura was anticipating, was the amount of people who would become customers on Mari’s recommendation. Mari carries a lot of weight with her network, and when she says something is worth trying, people take action. Laura saw an increase in new customers from this one interaction. Her time cultivating was low, and the return was high.
As you can see, connecting with your customers where their eyes are can be just as critical, if not more, than any paper or web advertising. WordOfMouth2.0. Blogging has the same effect. Whether its a full length post like this or micro-blogging with Twitter, Facebook or dozens of other services. The point is to connect. Help people get what they want, and you’re definitely on your way to getting what you want.
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