They say there's money to be made in the social networks? They say you can make mmmillion dollars on Twitter?
Are they for real?
To be honest, I have no idea. Maybe?
Social Networking Is Not About The Money
Social media marketing is a way to make money with social media. Although I don't like the term "make money" in this context, it is a way to say that there is earning potential in social media, HUGE potential actually.
To grasp that potential you have to concentrate on anything but making money, just like I wrote in the earlier post, concentrate on doing social networking the right way and not wasting your time trying to achieve something that's just not gonna work.
You might gain some results by constantly promoting and selling stuff, but that's not a way to build a personal brand. Unless of course you want to brand yourself as an annoying sales person, but for me, that's not something to be proud of.
Social Media Is a Way To Connect
Getting in contact with your friends, customers, blog readers or anyone who shares the same interest and passion has never been easier. Social media is a way to connect to those people. And those social connections have the POTENTIAL for a business and making money.
Making money on the web successfully is about utilizing all the available mediums and utilizing them well. Tap into the gazillion Twitter users and quad-za-illion users in Facebook and the possibilities are endless.
Utilizing social networks, like Twitter and Facebook, to the fullest is one way to earn money through Internet business, not the only way, but very effective way if used correctly. And at least a great support for any business you're running.
However, if you're looking to make money using twitter, you'll have to understand that it is a social network.
Social Network = Network of People.
Let's not forget that Twitter and Facebook, like any other Web 2.0 Social Network, is about socializing, a service full of other people, like you and me. And interacting with people requires that you behave accordingly, if you're not honest, fair and trustworthy, you will fail.
If you're not ready to work hard and be honest, you might as well go and get connected with others who like to lie and cheat people, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you - oh wait, there are no friends on that "side" of the web...
OK, maybe that was a bit harsh, but it's true.
No-one likes dishonesty.
Or at least I don't.
The power of social media as an Internet marketing tool is based on human-human interactions, friendships and TRUST.
With honesty, friendliness and being yourself, you can go far!
Who Are You In Social Media?
I'm being me.
I'm not making money on Twitter and I'm not sure if I want to.
OK, of course I like money.
Who doesn't?
It's OK to make money, take Nathan Hangen's (and my) word for it.
Yeah, I'll throw an affiliate link out when appropriate and when I think what I link to is actually useful and good (or I believe so), but I'm not direct messaging you to "buy my stuff" and probably never will.
I guess I'm trying to say I'm not in it "to make money" and if me being myself, communicating and helping others gains me credibility, supports me and my blog increasing the earning potential, more power to it!
That's what successful social networking and social media is about for me, building a personal brand.
And it's quite easy when you can just be yourself too!
I learned that from Katie Freiling and her How To Make The Most Money With Social Media video.
Show Me The Money!
Couldn't resist that one. Jerry Maguire is one great movie...
Anyway -- I have already shown you the money.
I have told where the money is.
The money is in the TRUST.
If you're looking to sell anything online, you have to have trust.
And isn't it easier to trust the fellow who you can see and who you know?
Like MikeCJ for example, when he posts a video that making money blogging is easy, you better believe it!
Why?
Because Mike keeps it real.
Who Are You in the Social Media?
Think about is and look at who you are online?
- Do you have your own image on your social profiles?
- Do you use your own name?
- weird usernames are OK, like my @Zemalf, but my real name is there too
- Are you getting into conversation and answering people,
- or do you just promote your own stuff?
- Are you being real?
Why are you getting involved in the social media?
Are you in it for the money? Or are you in it for something else?
Think about that for a second and leave a comment!
16 comments.
A passionate and well argued post, Antti. The money – if and when it arrives – will be an added bonus but I just like the idea of helping others get to grips with new technology.
.-= Kevin Tea’s last blog ..Cloud Security, Castration And Pavlov’s Dogs! =-.
Thanks Kevin. About helping others with technology — you and me both on that one!
Thanks for the shout out Antti! And I totally agree with you. I think the moment you start “working” social media for a buck is the moment it will all go horribly wrong.
But if you can be authentic, helpful, interesting, smart or funny, you’ll get lots of friends or followers, who may one day choose to buy something from you.
.-= Mike CJ’s last blog ..Making Money Blogging is Easy =-.
Hey Mike, as you said it yourself on your post comments, keeping it real :) And so true: being authentic and helpful is the way to go.
I like it. Social Networking is just that. Social and Networking. It’s is not Social Finance, or Social Profit. I just hate gius who sell sell sell
.-= Robert Bravery’s last blog ..Things I wish I knew and did when I first started blogging. Part I =-.
There is more to Social Media than money. For me, social media is about connecting with people I wouldn’t otherwise get to me in my little corner of the world. It’s also about building relationships and being a friend to others. If I have a solution to someone’s problem, then I will offer something to them.
Wishing you a scent-sational day!
Patty
.-= Patty Reiser’s last blog ..Have you put the “net” into your Network Marketing business? =-.
Thanks to having our photos out there…Social Networking brings us over 30% of our incoming traffic
Hi Cynthia, nice to see you here! I like your Twitter profile page and it’s no wonder it’s sending traffic your way :) I’m probably not in your target audience, but the profile page gets the message through right away what you’re and the site is about and urges to click and check your site = great.
Thanks for the mention! You make some great points too. For me, the money follows after the relationships are built. It started coming when I stopped focusing on it.
.-= Nathan Hangen’s last blog ..How to Find a Web Designer =-.
I liked your vid Nathan so decided to comment about it this way :) Just like you said, relationships first, money second.
It’s a real shame that many businesses and business people are just spamming the Social Media Networks. If it suddenly stopped, we’d probably see 40-50% less traffic to those sites making a higher quality experience for the rest of us.
.-= Gordie Rogers’s last blog ..Confessions Of A Personal Development Junkie. =-.
Sad but true, Gordie! The good thing is that seeing that spam is (mostly) optional in social networks.
I don’t like it much when I think someone is interesting, honest and all that, their Twitter feed looks clean an “un-selling”, so I follow’em — but the second I follow them, I get auto-DM asking to “check-out” (=buy) their stuff. People should know better how to use those auto-responders better :)
I love social media like facebook.com and friendster.com but later I realized that what if all of my friend give me a money. If I have 100 of friends that can buy my offer for $1.00, I make $100. What if i have more? Thanks for sharing your idea.
I think social media provides and excellent indirect way to make money. Sending a Tweet or posting something on Facebook may not directly make you money, but it will connect you with those interested in what you’re talking about – and down the road you can benefit financially from building that network of like-minded people.
.-= BigManta’s last blog ..Making Money Online is a Marathon – Not a Sprint =-.
You have said it right. Trust is the most important factor in internet marketing. You gain trust, you gain followers. You gain followers, you gain potential customers. :-)
There is nothing lamer than being phony about your motivations for social networking. Most people will see through you quickly if you’re all about money, all the time. There is no reason you can’t be yourself and make money. It just takes patience and that’s what most bloggers don’t have enough of.
Trust, trust, trust. If you’ve got it, the money will come if you want it to.
Good stuff, Antti.
.-= Josh Hanagarne’s last blog ..The Easiest Way To Become A Negative Person =-.