Tell Me Your Story and I Will Tell You Mine

I recently joined a closed business networking group in the hopes of growing my social media management business.  I researched and tried out different groups and meet ups to see where I got the most bang for my buck or really for my time spent networking.  Once the decision to join was made, I set about meeting or having, as the group puts it, 1-2-1 meetings with the members.  Because lets face it, what is networking really? its about  building relationships, which is what social media is about as well.

In these 1-2-1 meetings I was asked the same questions “What brought you to social media?”  “How did you get started in social media?”  they wanted to know my “story”.   When looking to make  a connection with others whether it is for  friendship, business or otherwise we as humans  are always looking for at least one point of connection.  Something that we can point to and say “See, we are the same.”  Or “we have had similar experiences.”  So that we can feel connected to one another.

As  mothers we do this when we meet up on the playground. When we meet  and talk about our experiences with giving birth, breast feeding, and potty training.  We do it as adults when we ask where someone went to school or what they studied or if they played  any sports.  Human beings have a  constant need to feel connected to one another even if  its just in the slightest of ways.  He likes blue and so do I, therefore we can talk and communicate.

So, here I was telling my story to my new group of friends, and it dawned on me why I was really in the business of social media management.  I liked being a part of a team!  This revelation was  eye opening for me.  Yes, I enjoyed being creative and finding ways to gain followings on various social media channels, but really what I enjoyed the most was meeting people and hearing their story and wanting to be a part of their success as well as my own.  As I met with each member it was no longer about if they would sign up with me for social media services, it became more about how could I help them attain their goal.  I wanted to be on the team and pitch in the game!

Understanding the story your customer is telling and how your story fits theirs is vital to successful marketing.  Many people think because more of us are behind  screens  and keyboards we are less connected then we used to be. But in fact we are more connected although perhaps in a slightly different way. It is all part of the human need to be a part of something great then the individual.  We seek out more information and want to hear more of the story of why something exists and how that business can fit into my story and become part of my success.

As I learned these stories It helped me think about how my services could aid them in getting their own story out. Many of  my counterparts in my network group had great stories but no idea how to communicate them in a social media setting. For some of them, they didnt even understand that they were telling a story.  They didnt see how social media could help them in any way. Gradually, as we talked, things became more clear for them as well as for me.  I realized my purpose more clearly. My purpose was to aid to these friends in  telling their story and to help them reach their customers in a new way. In return, they helped me gain new insight into my own story and my purpose as a social media marketer.

Source: Pace Feed