Here’s a short, but extremely controversial video that talks about social networking.
After watching it, leave your comments below.
If enough of you take the time to give me your honest feedback…
I’ll be back tomorrow to share some my some of my own personal experiences and thoughts on the subject.
Dedicated to your success,
Kevin Thompson
“The Automatic Income Coach”
I think he is right up to a point. However, several of my favorite “followers” have become real-life friends. We have never met in person, but we email and talk on the phone regularly and encourage each other in our endeavors. I know I could sleep on any of their sofas. My point is, it all started with social networking. It is a way to start to make a real connection. But someone eventually has to break the virtual barrier and bring the relationship into real life for truly valuable networking to take place. Otherwise, it’s not much more than a videogame masquerading as work.
Kevin,
I don’t have much experience with social networking. Some people have asked me to join them on Facebook, but from a personal relationship standpoint, I don’t see any advantage over email one-on-one. For business? Only if you can figure out some way to bring real attention to a website. I think a creative, focused blog would be more effective. But, then, again, I don’t have any experience with that either.
Harvel
Kevin,
I couldn’t agree more… this is why I like being a client of yours, you ALWAYS add real value, and, you are your word… when you say something, you do it.
He is right that many followers may mean nothing if you have done nothing to win they’re confidence and have not cultivated a business culture in networking.
Build networks that will convert to action if needed.
Kevin T. has value for and in the loyalty of his followers because he provides value and real help.
This guy hit the nail on the head. He’s right on and 100% acruate.
Hi Kevin, as someone fairly new to internet marketing I do so far find both Facebook and Twitter not really helpful.
Both for me waste a lot of my time when I’m sure I could be more productive in my Internet marketing.
I am still trying to find out the true values of the above mentioned.
Kindest regards
David
Oops. Accurate.
I have to Agree with what Seth is saying here. All this “make money” with facebook and twitter nonsense that is rampant on the internet, and how many followers I have, means nothing in the long run if you have not connected with people on a deeper level somehow and truly created a relationship. I have met some amazing people that I know I can just ring and they have my back, and 99.9% of them are not my followers on Twitter or Fans and FB. You are the key factor to the equation, and the value you offer to others. That’s my Take on it
Awesome Post! Thanks!
I have to Agree with what Seth is saying here. All this “make money” with facebook and twitter nonsense that is rampant on the internet, and how many followers I have, means nothing in the long run if you have not connected with people on a deeper level somehow and truly created a relationship. I have met some amazing people that I know I can just ring and they have my back, and 99.9% of them are not my followers on Twitter or Fans and FB. You are the key factor to the equation, and the value you offer to others. That’s my Take on it Awesome Post! Thanks!
I agree.
Spot-on . . . I couldn’t agree more, in fact a theory of mine is in relation to our desire to be connected, to regain our oneness. It seems this desire is superficially filled by all the “networking” like facebook and twitter along with our constant phone communications. It has very little meaning and is instills a false sense of connectivity. The less actual relationships we have (what Seth mentioned) the more we seem to crave them. Building real relationships by giving without any strings attached is where we find ourselves feeling much better about ourselves and the world we live in. And, where real networking happens.
Listening, learning, laughing and loving,
Duke
Saying social networking is useless is like saying the Internet is useless or Photoshop is useless. How many people bought Photoshop with all the latest plugins and bells and whistles only to let it sit on their hard drive unused? That doesn’t mean Photoshop is useless. It’s a tool, it’s a place to start, like getting hits on your web site or collecting friends on Facebook. Of course if all you do is collect them they will be useless to you. But with organization, direction, and engagement in other forms, they can become extremely valuable. As Napoleon Hill taught us: knowledge alone is not power. But highly organized, intelligently directed specialized knowledge obtains the power to accumulate great wealth.
Dear Kevin,
I almost didn’t go out of my to leave a comment. I almost didn’t make the time to respond, because I feel certain that many others will. But, because you have gone out of your way to connect with us subscribers, I feel I need to reciprocate, even if it’s in a small way.
Mr. Godin is so correct! He sounds like he took a page out of your book Kevin, talking about real relationships, not just fake, one-sided ones. Relationships where both people gain. Honestly, I don’t see how this could even be controversial because it makes so much sense.
Thanks, Kevin, for keeping it real.
Sincerely,
Veronica
For the most part, I agree. But, I am not a twenty-something generation. I am a baby-boomer and the internet has not always been integral to my life. I struggle to find honest connection or genuine, tangible value in relationships built exclusively online. I am a tangible person – I want tangible, face-to-face connections.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for posting this. I pretty much agree with the things Seth is saying. I have wasted a lot of time on the social networks in the past. Although I had lots of ‘friends’ it didn’t translate into business connections that amounted to much of anything. Mostly, it was various marketers trying to sell their programs to all the other marketers who were also trying to sell their programs…! I did make a few real, personal friends, who are now in my address book, and we correspond on a regular basis. Only one of them is also interested in internet marketing, and he’s been somewhat helpful to me with a few things. The others are just personal ‘friendly friends.’ We forward the silly jokes, etc., back and forth, and share personal stuff.
I only log in to facebook, myspace, and the ning networks maybe once or twice a month nowadays. I just found them to mostly be very time consuming, without accomplishing much at all. I know that many other people feel the same way.
Hi Kevin,
I agree with Veronica and Mr. Godin in that we have lost touch with REAL communication and relationships with Text, email, blogs, facebook, twitter, instant messaging cell phones and their capabilities. We are becoming a cold people and it is very sad.
However there are still some REAL folks with humility and values, you being one of them. You might remember our conversation on this similar subject on Monday of this week.
Your kind of people have my respect.
Thanks,
Brad
Kevin,
I agree with Godin entirely. Thats why I dont have an account with any networking site. I had on a few years ago, but I abandoned it. It just wasnt real anymore. People I dint want to speak to were popping up. I dont want to make friends by the dozen!
I am happy with my MSN Messenger and G-Talk. Because I can keep in touch with whom I want and not be obliged to because some site says its cool to write on someones ‘wall’. Reality Check!!
Anyway, I chat with arond 3-5 people on a daily basis, but they are my friends, I know them well, we make each other laugh, and are there for each other when we cry. I trust them and thats why I am online about 12 hours a day, to send a smile across or just say Hi.
People are so caught up with the networking phenomenon that they forget to live their real lives. Their trapped online. I tried it for a few months and I felt my person to person live communication skills get bad and uncomfortable. So I am totally for living in the real world. For everything else there is email, MSN Messenger and G-Talk.
I can not open the video to watch it
Ever tried to actually have a conversation on Twitter? Everyone’s always posting all this inane stuff – but no one is talking to each other. It’s all just a bunch of shouting. I don’t call that very social.
I agree somewhat with Mr. Godin. There are a lot of so called friends that you run into and agree to be friends with on the social networking sites that probably wouldn’t give you the time of day if you met face to face, but there are plenty of like minded individuals who become friends through a common thread such as AIS or Matt Furey’s groups etc. I think that the relationships you cultivate with these folks (the last mentioned group) are real and I would most likely entertain requests for business ventures, fun stuff and/or meetings with them because of things I’ve learned about them on whatever social site. Although, I have to add, that most of (or at least a majority of) the people that I am friends with on these sites, are people I’ve met before and do have some sort of relationship established.
Mr Godin has a point, and, on the surface, social networking is useless – but, if you know how to use it, it’s a powerhouse.
I am talking about grouping your contacts.
Sure, I have thousands of friends on Facebook – I play Mafia Wars, and so do many others. I also keep up with my Direct Sales Business on FB – simply by creating and managing groups of like individuals.
It’s not rocket science, and, when you senlect a certain group to be displayed, you get an immediate feel for your contact’s frame of mind, thier aspirations and needs – without having to search through tons of crap (anything you don’t want to look at at the time).
Just my two-cents.
E-mail me and I’ll put you in my FB lists under “Automatic Income Friends” (can I do that, Kevin?)
- Dave
I think It can be use full in the internet marketing bussness!
When it is done in the right way!!!
Thank’s Kevin
Sincerley Frank Jaz
Kevin,
I agree completely with Seth Godin. Whether we’re talking the offline world, or the online world, business and relationships that work are based on one thing – trust. Being a real person, and delivering true value to whoever you have a relationship with is key.
As Seth mentions, Quantity of relationships, or “just keeping score”, does not really matter in my experience. It’s ALL about the quality of the relationships we have in business. If you serve the right people, in a tangible way that offers more use value than cash value, you’ll never go out of business. Your service to us as the Automatic Income Coach is the perfect example.
Keep up the great work, and thanks.
Sincerely,
-Jason “Wally” Waldron
Kevin,
This is an extension of modern politics. One cannot have FRIENDSHIPS anymore you must have SOCIAL AGENDAS, SOCIAL NETWORKS etc. What a crock! You should know who your true friends are based on time and experience. That guy on the video was right. Thanks Kevin, Ken.
I agree completly. I use Facebook for staying connected with friends and family and that is it. I do not use it for business. I don’t see the value there nor would I want to mix the two groups of people. I also agree with the opt out comment. I have people on my Facebook page that I would rather not have……….but they aren’t hurting anyone and if they start to annoy me………I will block them from my page.
I agree there’s a lot of useless networking for the sake of it going on, and it’s a waste of time. I really don’t need to hear about someone sitting in a coffee shop whiling away their day. But there is a real value in people reaching out to each other with solid information they can use. I have relationships both ways with people all over the world, because we’ve taken the time to provide value to each other. So bottom line, I agree with Seth.
Good point, but because the video was rather short, it wasn’t helpful in directing a person to where we should go to be able to help those in need and in turn develope friendships that could benefit.
Regina
Hi Kevin,
I do not think it is necessarily B.S. I believe you get what you give. Be superficial, get superficial…be deep & meaningful, have deep & meaningful relationships. We all have choices; it is really very basic. What are you willing to invest in yourself & others?
Thanks for your investment!
Warmest Regards,
Grace Ratto
Kevin,
This confirms what I’ve thought about social networking – it’s really no different than in-person networking: It’s not about the number of business cards you collect, or the number of “friends” you have on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. It’s about the quality and depth of relationships you have with people, and the value you bring to each other’s businesses and lives.
This is the major problem I have with most of these self-proclaimed “social media experts” who constantly brag about how many connections they have. I think the only reason they build their lists to these idiotic levels, is to sell more of their social media courses or events… or give them credibility to give talks on how to do what they’ve done. It’s the business version of the “one-trick pony.”
Their sales pitch boils down to this: “I have all these connections… I’m the guru… now attend my seminars/webinars and buy my stuff.” If they’re providing value and coming from how their information can benefit my business, that’s fine. However, if it’s a “Look how cool I am/how many seminars I’ve done/how many connections I have,” see ya – wouldn’t wanna be ya.
I agree totally
I’ve never really done anything with facebook or twitter etc. Or any of the other ’social media’ stuff. But what the man is saying does make sense simply because it follows human nature. People are all friendly until they are required to do something, then Poof! they’re gone. Why would it be any different on the internet? The real question is: How do you create the types of relationships he was talking about? Hope my ‘2 cents’ helps.
Hi Kevin,
I’d have to basically agree with the speakers premise. But I’ll also qualify that I am not by any stretch an expert on social media or how to use it effectively for business.
I have “friends” on FB that do nothing but post links to business this or that all day long…and I don’t ever take the time to click on any of them…they simply are not COMPELLING. Someone like yourself that uses email and leaves value day in and out is much more likely to get me to click a link and watch a video…even if its the latest affiliate marketing the latest whatever to be the end all be all. ;-/
Relationship is what it’s all about…and delivering VALUE to someone is what helps to develop that even though there might not be “face to face” contact with them.
I know that you know this….you are very good at it!
I don’t have the time to twitter or facebook but there must be something of value because David Riklan has a whole business teaching people how to be successfull using it!
Godin is a really smart guy, and really gets a lot of what’s going on.
As you do, the key is to build authentic relationships. Learning how to be real in the context of the NOISE of social media is an “interesting” challenge, to say the least!
I’m looking forward to what you have to say about this!
Mr. Godin is completely right. Relationships are made by exchanging thoughts and ideas of value one with another.
Very interesting post – thank you Kevin. I was subscribed to a niche social network for traders. Most of the people were “hangers on” and the few that I did want to converse with I already had a relationship with – I’m not interested in being known as a “leader” of a mullet train. The way you operate is much more meaningful and rewarding.
We’ve got a really interesting discussion going here.
I’ll be back tomorrow with some of my own thoughts.
Talk with you then.
Kevin Thompson
“The Automatic Income Coach”
I definitely agree with Seth Godin, and Barbie and Duke
have summed it up about the same way as I would. I’ll
be looking forward tomorrow to your own thoughts, Kevin!
Thanks for the information you are providing!
Social networking has become a ‘beast’, with a good side and a bad side.
Used properly, both Twitter and Facebook can be used in a lucrative manner.
Seth Godin (an amazing author, btw) nails it. People have used these tools more for social purposes than business purposes. This could have a negative slant on the ability for these tools to be used successfully in the future for real “networking” unless you start capitalizing right now. Anxiously awaiting KT’s response.
I agree as well. The connections made in a social media setting must be in some way relevant and tangible in order to hold any value. I am a direct sales consultant, and social media is useful for me. It has helped me to maintain contact with my clients, improved my client care, and helped me to find new clients. However, it is also true that the same cannot be said for every social media user. I think much of its usefulness depends on the effort you invest.
QUALITY of communication matters more than QUANTITY. I personally don’t have time or interest in posting messages or looking at other people’s comments. I know some people are extremely successful using this medium, just as some are really effective at using blogs. No matter what the medium, though, quality is paramount. The internet in general is filled with junk as well as really high quality material; I’m sure the same is true on Face Book.
A dear friend recently called the phone company to cancel his internet subscription (I wouldn’t go that far, at least at this point). The incredulous salesperson at the phone company asked, “But don’t you want more communciation?”
“NO!” said my friend. “I want less quantity, and more QUALITY.”
Well said.
Never really thought about it like that…
Maybe I should start clearing up my facebook
I think Mr. Godin makes some good points here, the relationship is absolutely important! But let’s not be too quick to condemn social media. It is still in its infancy and I don’t think we have seen all the possible uses of it yet. It wasn’t that long ago when most people thought that blogs were just a toy for people who wanted to be heard and I don’t think that anyone will deny that they have a proven business worth now. It may be that social media is not the best place to focus our efforts right now (there are certainly more proven and effective channels), but as something experiment with or to try next month or next year? Perhaps. – Never say never!
I think Seth Godin is right on spot. But there are also distinctions between value creation and levels of interaction that drive a different reaction and a different type of client. For example some companies relate with their clients through consumable products that have no personal relationship with the client other than their daily consumable value; but if you are a local business person or small business owner you can much more easily create a relationship. One creates brand exposure & recognition and the other creates brand relationship. There are many other relationship strategies in between and even for large companies. It is truly necessary to understand the exposure you want and the relationships you desire to create.
Wow! That’s a lot of objection! I don’t have a site up and running as of yet but I do have a real estate business,and I love facebook I’ve connected with people I other wise would not have and can keep up with them at will. Who knows who they know and connect with I think all forms of communication are good! Everyone is different why exclude them? Jim Canale a real estate “guru” posts up and coming webinars teleconferences along with personal events That I think lets you get to know him and his business better. Oh yes I still get the e-mails and if I didn’t use Facebook it wouldn’t matter a bit.
I tend to agree with Seth I havent been on face book or twitter a lot, but every time i have its been a lot of nonsense. On the other hand I have a large family and my sisters are incouraging me to get on because “once you get past the fools, you can find good people” (direct from my sister Martha) so I am going to give it more of a chance.
Dave Spencer
This is Michael Leach i like to know how to get more sales for my businsess.
Kevin,
… this is actually why I started a side-line biz (from my carpet cleaning biz) – because there are those people who would like to take advantage of the power of social marketing but are frustrated with it… and since I have been on these social site for some time and book a good portion of our work through facebook and twitter – I see this a a natural way to help people.
Seth, hit (it) the nail on the head – there are lots of people constantly hawking there products and services and its gets to be annoying – but done correctly can make you a ton of money.
I completely agree with Seth as far as business goes, but I do like Facebook for keeping up with my friends, even though I don’t get on it a lot. It obviously can be a huge waste of time, but I have made contact with some people from my past that I probably never would have found otherwise. I only have my real friends and acquaintances on Facebook and if someone requests to be on it and I don’t know them I don’t accept them. Twitter, on the other hand, is the most useless, inane thing I have ever seen. I really don’t need to know that someone is taking a bath or going to the grocery store or just got home from the gym. Time is a precious commodity and Twitter is a time-waster if I ever saw one. And I have all these people saying they are following me that I have no idea who they are!! What’s the point???? I think everyone is craving connection but it needs to be up close and personal.
Thanks for the video!
Seth has a good point on this subject! It is certainly about the quality of your relationship whether it is based on Facebook or anything else.
Facebook and Twitter and many others were designed for socializing and making friends and not for business. I am totally tired of people following me on Twitter and I have no idea who they are. The last thing I want to have from them is some lame offer on how to make money on Twitter – it obviously serves the creator of that report etc. more than anyone else.
However, I think Facebook is useful for business purposes if you use it in the right way. It is a wonderful resource since you can survey people of a certain, age, sex, location, profession and so on. This will probably benefit your business since you will know your customers better.
What about Google? Do they care about your social bookmarkings? I am not sure. If I were Google I would pay a lot of attention on who is visiting your website, for how long and how often. Obviously, if you have something of value, people will spend time with you. I am pretty sure that Google is going to use this as a ranking criteria in the near future. What good are backlinks from an article directory where no human ever spend any time reading your articles?
Is not a bit like running a good restaurant? How do you know that it is a good restaurant? One thing is looking at how many customers there are and how many of them are regulars. How do you know that a coach is good? By the results his customers achieve. Never mind his Mercedes!
Best wishes
I would welcome a debate on this theme!
This is right to the point and the point is false………..What do I mean by false is you make relationships by interacting with people who have a face, a mind and a voice. You cant make a long lasting relationship with a number. Yes you will make a couple of kinda friends but it is a lot of time and effort to think you are popular……as this after all does not translate into wonga
It’s really too bad that this question even comes up. The internet is a wonderful tool, but there are a lot of immature, shallow people who haven’t enough respect for self or others to care about “real” relationships. The speed of the internet and the built-in barrier that exists between communicators makes it disgustingly easy to sling the BS, betray the trust of the recipient and not give any thought to others’ rights as fellow humans. That is NOT what we are here for! In case anyone has forgotten, we are here to help one another and live according to the Golden Rule. But lots of folks think it’s smart to do dirt to others, and “Get away with it”. These poor benighted souls have sold their souls for a bowl of soup.
I find these sites confusing. If you go there, you find their friends and their friends friends that I’m not interested in.
Probably okay if you want to see what’s cookin’ with a relative, but I don’t see the advantage over regular e-meil.
Maybe I haven’t found the diamond there yet, but from all reports, others have.
Hi Kevin, I believe Seth is right on the button. I do some family things now on Facebook but I don’t think it is a serious place to get a personal relationship for business.
You now, are a real example of what he is saying between real and fake. If you can’t get beyond just talking about the wheather and learning something real. Someone like you that one can trust through time to build a lasting relationship, then it is not worth listening to them. Business to me is real and serious and that is who I want to talk with and that is not on Facebook and Twitter which is just a social outlet.
I am looking forward to the meeting the good people or site—Thank You Ron Baker
Hello Kevin! I’m not real sure about all that, Theirs alot of people making big money with social media, Because they know what their doing with marketing the social networking sites, If you walk into a live webinar and meet people and talk about the weather or hows your mom doing, not going to show your to business minded, What I would do is shake hands and hand them a business card, }SO WANT DO YOU DO FOR ALIVING} SOCIALIZING IS SOCIALIZING weather it’s online Or off!