It's like trading baseball cards.....

Developing an effective, useful, and profitable form of advertising in social media is not going to be easy. Or is it even possible?? Bringing companies' advertisements directly into play on a "social network" may be too bold of an approach for this new environment. I feel that the nature of today's consumer and their "selective hearing" in terms of advertising will be difficult to bypass for marketers and advertisers if a direct method is used.

For many years companies have found ways to bombard audiences with their messages, but they adapted and found ways to block these out. It began with direct mailings which are being phased out by the Internet. Instant communication through email has eliminated snail mail for many companies. Then came the attack of telemarketers and everyone was afraid to answer their home phone at 10:30 AM on a Tuesday because it might be a telemarketer. Caller ID and no call lists have discouraged companies from using this method also. The lovely pop up blocker came along to shoo away those pesky ads bothering you as you surfed the web. Satellite radio promised great commercial free music. Finally the DVR and Tivo have pushed TV advertisements off of its pedestal. What do all these things have in common? It was a one way street, advertisers talked, but did not listen. So how will social media be any different if it becomes inundated with all these "messages?" Will someone develop an ad blocker or will social media just be a fad?

My view is to keep company interaction with audiences "social". Establish a brand , image, and personality that people will want to be a part of. Sell your brand to people and not just target markets. There has to be a communal feeling around your brand that people will feel inclined to join. If it is too "commercial" or "corporate" I feel that people will not trust what you have to say. The social and personal aspect must be there if you want to sway audiences opinions and preferences.

Social media interaction should be like trading basketball cards when you were a kid. When you traded cards you wanted to feel good afterwards, you wanted an" even trade," not to get screwed over. When you traded Derek Jeter for Randy Johnson , everybody was happy, but when you decided to trade Barry Bonds for Roger Clemens...not so happy. The same is true with social media, everyone should benefit somehow from your conversations and brand and in return you should receive positive PR, word of mouth buzz, and profits. If your company wants to reach out, then do it personally. Your messages should show that you are just as interested in your audiences' lives as their pockets.

If you can build a community and following of loyal people through your interactions, then you have created a foundation for new customers. Do not give people a reason to block you out because of your company's impersonal and intangible image. Establish a voice that people will connect, and listen to. Then listen to them instead of just talking and hoping someone hears you! Use the "social" in social media to establish your brands. Listen to your audiences and remember its like trading baseball cards...