Mom told you to share, but she also said to say “please” and “thank you.”
With all the buzz about “influence’ in social media, people are forgetting real social media clout is built on “trust.” How trustworthy are you?
At TWTRCON last month, Laura Fitton, aka @pistachio, stated that “Influence is serving others.” I would add it is also attained by appreciating others. By responding and showing genuine appreciation to all of your followers, you build trust.
With the advent of Klout and other measures of social influence, a disturbing pattern is surfacing. Some folks, including social media experts, only curry favor and are inclusive of those they may deem influential. Don’t be guilty of taking for granted anyone who retweets your tweet or spreads your thought leadership in Facebook or in a blog. Do you comment back or express that you “like” that someone mentioned you? Those in social media know the value this provides. If you are advocating best practices in social media, don’t forget, a simple “thank you” goes a long way — and that is being social!
PHARMA AND TRUST
Pharma especially needs to focus on building trust. This entire issue of Siren Interactive’s “Adventures in eMarketing” is about pharma and trust, and is worth your read. The following graphic in the newsletter is a Research Insight about Epsilon, A Prescription for Customer Engagement, March 2010, which explores the issue of online trust and the pharmaceutical industry. As you can see, at 13%, there is a lot of room for improvement. How would you recommend pharma could build more trust?