Are You Having a Conversation or Giving a Lecture?

Guest post by Frances Leary

Every business of every size needs a platform that gives it a voice. Social media is just that. It gives every organization, large and small, a voice to share its information, inspiration, products, and services with the world.

However, if businesses are only listening to their own voices, it’s like giving a sermon. People can only listen to a sermon for so long. Eventually, they don’t want to listen anymore.

Imagine this scenario:

You’ve been told you need to “be on social media.” So, you find some content to post and you use an automation tool to get it out there consistently. And then to yourself, you say, “Whew, that’s done. Now I don’t have to deal with social media for a while.”

The result?

There you are, standing behind your online lectern, giving an unending sermon to an audience of your very-soon-to-be-disengaged potential customers and clients. You just keep on talking. Eventually, they stop listening. It’s like giving a lecture to an empty auditorium.

People don’t engage on social media to be lectured. They engage on social media because they want to connect with people. And when it comes to business, people want to do business with people. They want to share thoughts and ideas and be inspired. They want to build relationships with organizations and leaders they trust.

They want to feel like they know who you really are. They want to feel heard and valued and understood.

However, if you’re only giving lectures then you’re not giving your customers and clients what they need.

If you don’t actually want to engage with the people – to have those conversations, to respond to comments and questions from your audience, to provide supportive customer engagement in order to foster those relationships – then what are you really doing on social media in the first place?

Business development is a two-way conversation. So is social media. So, step away from the lectern, and have the conversations.

Action: Look at your social media feeds and notice how much you’re posting and how much you are commenting on and engaging with others. If you’re mostly just posting your own content, make a point to scroll through your followers’ posts and comments. See what they’re up to, and allow yourself to absorb the potential for using social media to lift up those members of your audience and support them. Look for opportunities to engage with your community, and act.

Adapted from a chapter of 101 Ways to Use Social Media to Do Good by Frances Leary.

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Frances Leary is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, consultant, and president of online communications firm Wired Flare Inc., a certified B Corporation and two-time Best for the World Honoree in five categories. As an expert in digital storytelling and impact-driven communication, Frances has worked with organizations throughout North America to connect them with customers, partners and communities through compelling story. A digital shepherd, she offers training and consulting to empower impact-driven entrepreneurs and organizations to grow their triple bottom line. Frances speaks internationally, championing big ideas and empowering change, and she is the author of the newly released book, 101 Ways to Use Social Media to Do Good. Learn more about Frances at FrancesLeary.com