Social Media Marketing- The 4 Levels of CONNECTION in Social Media

March 3, 2009 by Doug Firebaugh
Filed under: Social Media Marketing Training 

 

 

CONNECTION is the Secret!

The base of Social Media Marketing is about Conversation.

No Doubt. But the platform the base is hosted on I believe is CONNECTION. Conversation does not happen without Connection, and without a reaching out on someones part.

Connection is the START of where it all happens in Social Media.

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First comes the Catalyst, then the Connection, then the Conversation. Whether it is tweets on twitter, friends on facebook, and users on youtube - it still starts with Connection in the Social zone.

Are you Connecting on a regular basis? And if you are, how are you doing it

Connection, according to the dictionary, is “when 2 things come together and meet.”

Cool.

That works as far as social media. Connecting with folks that you have something in common with is all part of the social media marketing process. But if you think about it, there are different types or levels of Connection, and social media really demands a higher level of connection in marketing.

All Marketing is, (no matter if you are a traditional marketer, or a home based marketer, or an online marketer,) is the process of exposing your message or product to a prospect in some way. Yes, tht is a simple definition, but within it, you must CONNECT your message with someone. There must be a CATALYST to make it happen, like an advertisement, phone call, squeeze page, or an article online. But something MUST start the process of marketing.

Here is the process :  Catalyst- Attention- Connection- Conversation- Collaboration.

Hence, the 4 levels of Connection in social media.

1) Attention.

This is the weakest form of Connection in socialville. No matter whether it is on LinkedIn, or Facebook, it is the weakest. This form of Connection many people make the mistake of thinking they have Connected here and immediately start bombarding folks with marketing messages. That is a HUGE no no. Attention means that you have Connected their eyes, mind, or curiosity with something, but it is NOT enough to start the marketing process effectively. Yes, you can start here, but rarely does it prove to be effective. This Connection is only where someone NOTICES you message.

2 Connection.

This is where a person in the marketing process, is hooked” by something in your message or offer. It could be a phrase, video, free giveaway, download, image, or color. But SOMETHING has not only gotten their attention, but has Connected their mind to a further look. the psychology of this is to switch in their curiosity, and desire for more information. They have “plugged in” enough to Connect to your message and consider it.

3) Conversation.

This is the third level of Connection, This is where the Conversation has moved beyond curiosity, and now has elevated to communication. They may want to know more about the message or product. They may want to know more about you.  They may want to know more about the benefits and value of the product. But Conversation does take place and can take place many times over the course of time before you move to the 4th level of Connection.

4) Collaboration.

This is where you both agree that you will Collaborate in some way and is some fashion to work together. This may come in the form of a sale or purchase, an appointment, a referral, a new person in your business, a new customer, or even a partnership or Joint venture. Collaboration is something rhat has many possibilities.

The ultimate goal is marketing is to make something happen that creates a win/win situation for both the marketer and customer.  And these 4 levels of Connection can create a LOT of profit if you are consistent and relentless.  Many marketers never get past the Attention stage as they are more interested in RESULTS then a Relationship. They have it backwards. Relationship is a much better catalyzer of Results. Since you have taken the time to Connect on a higher level, they have learned to TRUST you, and trust more of what you suggest or say.

Do nto make that mistake in social media marketing. Take it to the highest level every time, and see your results increase dramatically in your social media marketing zone.

blessings.. doug firebaugh

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Comments

2 Comments on Social Media Marketing- The 4 Levels of CONNECTION in Social Media

  1. Tim on Tue, 3rd Mar 2009 9:27 pm

    2. Great article Doug! First time I’ve seen your blog and plan to catch one of your ideas about Twitter, now. I just signed up there three or four days ago and have to say it is a very strange environment - especially if you identify yourself as a marketer.
    Thanks for sharing the good stuff!

  2. Rashin D'Angelo on Fri, 6th Mar 2009 4:58 pm

    3. Hi Doug,
    Great article. I am currently working on a doctorate dissertation on the psychology of connection and how the impact of social media in this area. It appears that you’ve done much research in this area and I would love to collaborate with you further on this topic.
    I really like how you’ve identified the different levels of “connection”.

    Rashin
    http://twitter.com/rashin

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