The supportive community and friends I’ve met in real life and through my travel are incredibly unique, and I regularly chat with numerous social media friends via phone, direct messages and through e-mails. I value the admirable relationships that have been created because of social media and it is this that makes social media great.
I will be introducing some of my social media advocates to you later in this post, I am eager to share with you their experiences and expertise.
Thinking about my own experience, I do have to admit that I see the “ROI” being returned on the sweat equity I’ve put in over the years. Of course, this did not happen overnight and it has been a lot of work.
You are probably wondering why I am bringing this up?
When you approach your advocates, you may want to provide a scenario about how they may benefit from collaborating with you. What is in it for them if they decide to share their valuable time? After all, everyone’s time is valuable, and this is something each of us has to consider when thinking of our social media friends and our interactions with them.
If you are lucky enough to work with someone who supports your cause or project, just as with any relationship, it’s necessary to provide mutual respect and cherish them. Think in terms of collaboration. Remember, if you are not compensating them, don’t dictate. Instead, ask warmly and think about how you can reward them in return, especially if you are not planning to pay them cash for their efforts.
I personally call each person when I start a project and ask for their input. This process also allows me to get to know them better (I don’t mean when I do a blog post). Try to personalize the relationship that you are looking to form and strengthen. A particular point that must be stressed is that this cannot happen through a standardized template e-mail. An email of this nature doesn’t make the person feel warm and welcome, but a well thought-out message that is written strictly for them will.
Make sure that they get to preview the content and clearly understand the project. Never expect someone to go in blindly on something you are planning. Wouldn’t you want to examine and digest the material or information associated with a project before you put your name or brand on it?
Furthermore, if your event is cancelled, have the courtesy to update all parties in a timely fashion so they are not out of the loop. This also eliminates confusion. Remember, politeness goes a long way in social media. No matter the medium, good manners have a way of traveling and inspiring positive feelings.
It is now, with great pleasure, that I introduce my social media friends. I am sure you will find much valuable insight through their input regarding what they have personally experienced on this social media ride.
Of course, feel free to share with us your experiences!
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| One of the best ways of forging and sustaining long-lasting bonds is to treat others the way you want to be treated. I truly believe this. It has worked for me. I share other bloggers’ content, re-tweet a wide range of people, and engage folks on the positive things that inspire and motivate them. | ||||||||
| Once I’ve connected online, I try to think of ways to connect offline: a phone call, a tweet-up, a project we could do together, and so on. These are the kinds of things that help to strengthen the relationship, and lay a foundation for something in the future. | ||||||||
| Social media is a global conversation. Everything we do is observed, parsed and analyzed by people everywhere. So before an international audience, why wouldn’t you want to be known as a “nurturer of relationships”? If this is your reality, it means you’ll have great respect and longevity in the social space. Indeed, positive relationship building is also great branding. | ||||||||
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| As in any business, nurturing and sustaining a healthy partnership in social media is an essential ploy. It’s kind of like virtually managing a team where everyone is a boss, and where it requires the coordinated effort of many to thrive. I always believe getting along with people is the key here despite of their social media influence. Say no to ego games. Trust between partners, keeping your word (means saying YES or NO and act accordingly), and genuine communication can constitute largely on nurturing better partnerships in social media. | ||||||||
| Oh, one more thing – you ought to add value to the team, show them the way by taking the initiative without expecting mutual benefits straightaway. Be open to learn and have some fun in the meanwhile. Everything will be fine as the bond between team individuals strengthens, partnership will eventually be nurtured naturally, not only for a stint, but also for time to come. | ||||||||
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| A lot of real, personal relationships are formed through social media connections. And just like the offline world, a lot of that stems from treating people kindly, sharing good ideas from others, and trying to make the world a better place. | ||||||||
| Nurturing relationships is also about reciprocity. A sincere desire to be helpful goes a long way. Just as we appreciate when people Like, RT or Share something we wrote, or a project or cause we care about, or something interesting we found, others appreciate the same. | ||||||||
| It’s t a bit like ripples on water. The more you help others and share what they have to say, the more goodwill and positive energy ripples out into the social media ecosystem. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and listened to. Like the Dalai Lama says: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” | ||||||||
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| What many call the “Social Media Age” is to me, the collaboration age. It’s never been this easy to collaborate with others than it has been in the last couple of years. This ease of collaboration carries with it treasure troves. | ||||||||
| Here are 3 keys to effective collaborations and partnerships in Social Media: | ||||||||
| Value: Your ability to add value is the master-key to opening the vault of partnership anywhere. | ||||||||
| Alignment: Targeted message generates targeted partnership. Ensure your message align with your niche or brand as this will define the type and quality of partners you attract. | ||||||||
| Authenticity: No matter what, always be true to your values and yourself. | ||||||||
| There’s no doubt Social Media has allowed wider access to partnership opportunities, what you do with it is totally up to you. | ||||||||
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| I love to partner with people to create positive communities, spread the word of a charity or help spread awareness about a product or site that helps people live a healthy lifestyle. Basically that’s the criteria I use to decide if I think connecting would be beneficial to my community. | ||||||||
| I also realize that partnering commits me to doing the best I can from my end. I might not be the best person to get someone else’s message out in the way they would like, so I’m honest about what I’m willing to do. At the end of the day, I try to stay true to my own personal values and standards of integrity and realize that differs for each person. | ||||||||
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| With social media, you truly get back what you are willing to put in. Yes, we all want to monetize our social media efforts, however it is good to remember that compensation comes in many forms. Nurturing strong online relationships that lead to offline partnerships is an powerful example of social media ROI. | ||||||||
| Communication, respect, and reciprocation are traits that these partnerships must possess in order to be a success. Social media partnerships should be about the ‘we’, not about ‘me’. Because of this, some of us tend to overextend ourselves with regards to social media. I have learned that it is important to set boundaries. I am learning to ‘share my light, but not my oil’. | ||||||||
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| Social Medias online are an abundance of collaborations between human beings. They are redefining the way we do business and work but also recreate. All over the planet, unprecedented discoveries and a highly creative imagination is at work. With perseverance, patience and will to help others and yourself, your coefficient of progress is assured, you just don’t know “how” or “when” it will materialize. We are creators. “We are what we think, so, choose wisely…” | ||||||||
| I like to think in terms of well being rather than the amount of money I make. ROI should be about more freedom, more creativity, more comfort in experiencing life, inside out! As for success, I find stimulating to define it as “the constant expansion of happiness”. | ||||||||
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| Because we are acting as a supportive team with our social media friends we promote and support them and their causes. But when businesses ask us to promote their product we must be mindful of the far reaching consequences to our own brand or business. Being too agreeable may put our own standing in jeopardy or worse look like we support and promote everything that comes along. | ||||||||
| But it seems appropriate to expect that the person making the request should be mindful of this as well. Wouldn’t it be nice if these exchanges were always mutually beneficial as it is with our friends who support us? We should always give in value what we are requesting of others. | ||||||||
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| Having solid professional contacts, ability to successfully connect those network dots and sharp mind for connecting ideas, people often ask me to leverage my contacts for their benefit, or help them develop a strategy to increase their business… always with the promise of *when*. When you bring on “x” clients, you’ll be compensated; when you develop a good plan, we’ll find a position for you; when the deal comes through, you’ll get a cut. | ||||||||
| For either inability to fit the budget, or simply lack of value what an advocate has to offer, people fall short in integrity, or the “do-the-right-thing” attitude. Admittedly, I give away many or my connections and talent for free. Why? Because I truly enjoy helping people succeed. And, I trust the people offering the “when” to be of their word. | ||||||||
| While social media provides free platforms, it doesn’t mean one can monetize people for free. Companies, businesses, and professionals who enlist social media influencers to advocate their cause need to recognize the smarts and ongoing effort to build that influence. | ||||||||
| What can you do? When approaching an advocate; think first. Who is this person, what are they bringing to the table, and how much is that going to help my business? Significantly. Without using that word *when*, how will I compensate that person for their time, commitment to my plight, and willingness to leverage their skills and influence for my benefit? Ask this first, and build a fortuitous partnership for all. | ||||||||
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| Nurturing social media relationships begins and deepens with our ability—and effort—to listen and understand the interests and needs of those we connect with. When you’ve gone that extra mile to find out who they are by reading their blogs, tweets and updates—to try to see with their eyes—the seeming gulf between you and them, and the challenge of inspiring them to help and understand your interests and needs, diminish naturally. | ||||||||
| For example, taking time to identify a cause that’s meaningful to both of you and sharing it with your friends and followers suddenly becomes more than a simple RT. It can be the first step, or a relationship deepening gesture, that builds the basis for powerful social partnerships. | ||||||||
Hi An
Love the Blog, although it does kind of trouble me at the amount of work it implies I’ve not been doing haha!
Many thanks for some great inspiration!
Ann, you have once again assembled a diverse group of social media voices! I see a few friends who’s viewpoints I already embrace & I see some who are new to me, people I now wish to get to know better!
Thanks for a worthwhile read!
Ann,
Thanks. Another great post that includes your own partnerships! Nicely done.
Each of the ways of nurturing connections posted here are true and important aspects of creating partnerships. My impression is that there is one other element of creating partnerships online: consistency. In other words, some people seem to be able to maintain a presence on social media (or the web, in general) and some are not. It’s much more attractive to partner with the ones who stick around.
Thanks again and…
Playful blessings,
Stan (aka @muz4now)
Thank you so much Ann for including me in this post with such an awesome group of friends. You all have been a huge influence and inspiration to me. Your posts Ann always remind me that even though some of us do business in the social media space, the most important part of it all is people and how we interact and treat them. Thank you for setting the bar high.
Hi Joyce,
My blog is a great outlet for me to share life situations. I take the lesson and share with my readers. By featuring my friends, we can share our advice with one another. I also even learn from the comments people share with us. Social media is a great medium and a powerful one. Let’s use it in a positive learning way.
❤Ann
Ann,
I have been a twitter follower of yours for a while and always appreciate your posts. This year I have decided to step up my game and no longer lurk through social media, but be an active part of it. I appreciate your spirit and the truth that you bring to this media. We all need role models and you are definite one to follow. God bless.
Deborah
One Smart Lady
Hi OneSmartLady,
Don’t be shy Deborah. Jump in! ツ Thank you for you kind comment.
–Ann
Ann, thank you so much for the include in your fantastic post with so many shining people!
You consistently show how committed you are to supporting your friends and know that we will always be here for you…
Hopefully this article will make it clear to others that being genuine and supportive with one another while honoring each others time and brand is so important…
Love, Hugs, and Light!
Debra aka @MomsofAmerica
Hi Debra,
You are super generous to share my blog post with your friends on a weekly basis. I like working on these series because I get to invite my friends to share their voices along with me. I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful warm advocates.
Thank YOU!
❤Ann
Amazing nuggets of social media wisdom from all my friends, incl. you, Ann. So much to learn from everyone. Really happy to contribute a little bit and thank you for assisting me to be a part of it. Hats off friends!
Hi buddy!
I love your positive energy and your generosity and I am more than happy to include you in this post. Cheers buddy!
–Ann
Tks for being you Ann! You uplift the stream of.. life! Love ❥
Dear Marcome,
You have been such a HUGE supporter of me. Thank YOU!
Love ❥
Ann
Nice post, Ann. Love the way you highlight people. Such nice generosity.
Hi Linda,
I love working on these series and seeing different perspectives from everyone.
Thank you,
Ann
Hi Ann! Lovely thoughtful educational post! Recently I have realized the power and usefulness of social media, particularly Twitter. I didn’t pay too much attention to what I was posting. If I saw an interesting article, anywhere on any topic, whther from another blog or from the news..anywhere, I’d re-tweet it. But watching and istening to pros like yourse;f has taught me the importance and value of waht I tweet and how to resepctmy followers more. Thanks for teaching this mini course on Netowrking and building partenrships, something I’m becoming ore and more keenly focused on.
Hi Loco,
Twitter and other social media platforms are powerful mediums to connect with people across the globe. Thank you for sharing.
Ann
What a wonderful group of social media people you have put together Ann.
So much too learn from those who are always a fantastic example of the right way to do things in this wonderful community.
Hi Tony,
Yes, such a fantastic group to share with our audience and YOU are one of those people I admire. Thank you for your kindness Tony!
–Ann
This is such a great representation of a fantastic headline in actuality. Thanks Ann for making me part of this wonderful group of friends. A pure showcase of the strength of collaboration powered by Social Media.
Hi Doug,
I really like your piece to this post. I am lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of supportive friends. Thanks for your guidance.
–Ann
I really enjoyed this post, the personal touch is something that is missing from a lot of blogs. It is refreshing to see this aspect in a social media site, I look forward to reading more of your work.
Hi Robin,
Thank you for the positive feedback, truly appreciate it.
–Ann
Thanks so much Ann for the inclusion in this post.
Success in social media may hinge on some of the things one does to build a presence, but longevity and respect come from positive, life-affirming, reciprocal relationships.
Everyone has a particular style. This is great because the diversity of methods, strategies, and approaches makes social media what it is. But no matter what your style is, the substance must include an ability to build and sustain “personal relationships”.
Your particular work Ann – post after post – reveals that you understand this. You don’t simply talk about the principles of “collaboration” and “supporting each other”. You practice it. In social media, and in real life. And without interruption. This is one of many reasons I am honored to call you a friend.
Keep up the great work.
2K
Hi Sean,
Thank you for your kind, generous words. We make a great team! I look forward to working on more projects with you. Because of the Huffington Post piece you featured me in, my social media presence was elevated. Your #TwitterPowerHouses rocks and I am grateful for your kindness.
–Ann
GR8 job Ann! I’m so proud to be part of such an inspiring group. You are a wonderful role model, personally and professionally. e.
Hi Esta,
Thank you for your time and wonderful input to this piece. I appreciate your friendship.
–Ann
What a great set of interweaving strands of fascinating people clearly linking talent, enthusiasm, generosity and respect! They really epitomise exactly the sense of community that your blog describes!
Hi Judith,
Thank YOU for sharing and I am very lucky to have so many supportive friends in my social media community.
–Ann
I treasure our relationship Ann. Thanks for doing what you do every day!
For me I see everyone in the world as a collaborator and partner and find magic happening with more and more wonderful people each day in a totally random and open way.
Keep being such a leader in all this
Michael
Hi Michael,
I appreciate your genuine support and your kindness.
–Ann
Great tips from Sean through Steve, plus your own personal touch. Personally, I struggle a bit with this as I’m not entirely sure what I can offer contributors outside of my support and sharing. I think it’s easier for someone who is well-established to offer value by appearing in their blog. This piece is a good start how I can dig deeper to find mutual benefits while I grow. Thanks again, Ann.
Hi Tony,
I agree we have fantastic tips from Sean through Steve. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing group of friends! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us.
–Ann
great post! it really is true that an online collaboration is as much about nurturing relationships as it is exchanging talent. i think, in this age of hyperconnectivity – socialmediawise – the ability to connect with your partners in a fluid and overall nurturing way will be the most successful model in terms of sustainability.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for the great share and comment.
— Ann