Paying for web notoriety is nothing new – not so long ago backlinks were the web currency of choice. We know one thing for sure: if it helps draw attention, marketers will find a way to exploit it. So it is not surprising that if you have the budget, you can buy all the online friends your company needs to give the appearance of renown. Besides the fact that the true value of social networks for marketers lies in easing communication between consumers and brands, and that the best return comes from better customer service and increased brand loyalty and reach, it appears that the point has been missed on some even more basic levels.
Let us consult our what I learned in kindergarten primer.
- Quality friends can’t be bought. Real friends will like you for who you are. If they don’t they are not really your friends.
- Friends won’t stick around if you don’t give back to the relationship. You can’t expect someone to invest in a friendship with you if all you do is say hi once and then maybe ask them some favours.
- Don’t do all the talking – you need to show an interest in your friends. Listen to what they are saying and remember it.
- Best friends are hard to come by but when you do you have a friend for life. Not all friends are created equal and best friends should always come first.
- Your friends have a lot to teach you – each of them have different ideas and experiences to share. Not everything is learned in a didactic environment, much of what you learn in life is from those around you. Appreciate that.
While buying friends might seem like a great investment, the companies that succeed in integrating social networking with their marketing initiatives did not do so by buying friends. They engage consumers, giving them opportunities to share as well as to learn. The key is to remember that authenticity cannot be faked, it requires investment and insight; and real friends cannot be bought, they are won from engaging them through sharing and discovery.
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