3 Easy Steps to Building Social Media Relationships

The personal use of social (i.e., building friendly, asking-nothing relationships/personal networks) is a vital part of the “new Web.” It’s important to
“join the club.”
Your niche’s “club,” though, has no formal application form or even “official” membership. Credibility is your admission fee so…

“Personal social” starts after you have a solid set of 20-30 pages, a little traffic (50 visitors per day) and 100+ Facebook fans or Twitter followers. That’s the bare minimum for building relationships with solid players in niches related to yours.
The process itself is not difficult. (And it’s a lot easier by computer if you’re not a natural “human magnet” by nature.)

1) As you reach out to a potential new contact, try to get their attention. For example, on your Facebook Page you might remark on a sharp article on a blog or website. You might reply or retweet a clever tweet. Be sure to include their @name so they notice. Don’t overdo it (don’t be that annoying person who just keeps pestering). Sooner or later, they’ll notice you. And when they do…

2) They’ll check out your site and your social presence. That’s the acid test. If they say “thanks for the mention, I like your site,” you have opened a door. Your reply (ex., “That means a lot to me, coming from you. I’ve been living here (doing this/had a passion for this/etc.) for years and was hoping that my take on it might be of interest.”) opens it a little bit more.
Over time, you’ll reach a phase where, for example, a specific blogger will spontaneously mention something of yours that she noticed and enjoyed. Or when you have something really sharp or new coming out, you can give these folks a heads-up (contacting each individually). Some will tweet or post at Facebook. A couple might make a post in their blog.

3) And finally, when that blogger wants to know what’s new in your niche and asks you, you’ve really made it. That’s when you (and be careful at this stage, it’s delicate) can also reach out and tell them that you just finished an article on a major new hotel (or renovation) and could they update that news on their blog?
Build personal social relationships in a steady, credible way and be rewarded by your efforts.

Take-Home Lesson

Compared to the offline model of taking business contacts out to dinner and drinks, or 4 hours of golf, it’s a time-efficient way of spreading your name, getting natural links and becoming the person in your niche.
Social is a field-leveller. Unlike search (search engines), no one, big or small, starts out with a built-in bias. But don’t become obsessed with social efforts.
When you are enough of a “presence,” that’s when you begin to reach out personally.
Important Note: Do not outsource this task. When developing relationships with people at your level (and hopefully higher) no one wants to speak to your assistant. In the offline world, it would be like a CEO golfing with your assistant. It doesn’t work.