Social networking tools such as weblogs, wikis, forums and popular networking sites like Facebook, You Tube, Linkedin and Twitter are changing how we relate with each other in our business, personal and community lives. The societal changes that we are going through are profound and should not be ignored or dismissed as being frivilous or short-lived.

Social marketing or social networking can be compared to attending simultaneous cocktail parties where you don’t need to worry about what to wear, about burning yourself with a curling iron, or about driving home via the backlanes. The benefits of attendance are often quite immediate. For example here is one of my recent experiences of interaction:

• I share an opinion on a forum
• a new contact reads my comment and visits my company website
• the new contact sends me a request to join me on linkedin which I accept
• a personal email enshews where the new contact shares their resume
• I introduce the new contact to another contact of mine whom I have met in a group conversation on another social networking site
• my previous contact, contacts the new contact (I hope a job enshews for this chap!)

The cool thing about social conversation marketing is that the fear that is often present when attending an in-person cocktail party is removed. I am certain that anyone reading this post knows what I mean. I am talking about those moments where a guy (thinking he is a geek musters the courage to start a conversation) and you also interested in speaking to him feel so self conscious when he approaches that you start talking about the weather while pouring your drink unconsciously into your right shoe. (This actually happened to me. I had to fly on a business trip following the event and people at the airport starred at me as I squished through the security line up. Then when I had to deposit my shoes on the security belt I left a trail for the security officers through security. Oh dear). Well, a great benefit to online cocktail parties is the lessening of these types of embarrassing moments and the opportunity to share more meaningful conversations and ideas.

Social networking sites have taken off around the world as more empowered consumers navigate the new frontier. This movement has certainly caught the attention of the top 100 retailers as 59% of them now have fan pages on Facebook. This is living proof that the business community recognizes the changes afoot and that social media sites are an important source of community connection, where they can reap the benefits of rapid exposure to new demographic groups; such as the millenials or gen xers. They also are recognizing that understanding and giving back to these communities is important and that touting company dogma is dismissed. A fan page is about empowering the consumer, putting them in control and making sure it is part of your overall integrated online marketing strategy to build customer loyalty and deepen relationships.

In the new world of social media marketing the old world metrics to measure success do not work because it is not about generating leads but rather about engagement. Measurement is different but simple. Success in this realm is about spreading an idea and going viral. It is about creating something, then sharing it, and then letting is go to take on a life of its own. The realm is routed in the universal law of nature if you will, that is that what goes around, comes around. You pay it forward.

Social media and social networking is not a trend or a fad in a moment of history it is a profound societal change in consciousness that is changing human communication, challenging old hierarchies, and redefining the DNA of human society. Understanding, participating and exploring this new space will open your consiousness to the unlimitless opportunities that abound.

P.S. I have stopped travelling with an extra pair of shoes in my brief case