…and insights from the new marketing experience conference in San Francisco

I’m on a wild ride right now, literally. It’s 7:00 a.m. and I’m on the Bay Link Ferry from Vallejo to San Francisco. Sitting comfortably, coffee at my side, computer on my lap blogging (the Ferry has free Wi-Fi) as the ferry boat rumbles across the water at 30 knots. My destination today is the Fort Mason Center for a New Marketing Experience workshop event. I’ve got about 50 minutes to blog this. And, I’m torn between kicking back and gazing out the window at the scenery, or sharing some thoughts that have been percolating on effective social media engagement…now crossing under the Richmond, San-Rafael bridge (spectacular vantage point)… maybe I can do both?  San Quentin prison is to my starboard. Let’s give it a whirl…

Here are 3 keys for building your business around social media networking:

1. Spend time to build and nurture relationships

As tempting as it is to setup your social media account on Twitter or Facebook Business Page and start blasting out company communications, please don’t. Wow, look how the sun rise is burnishing the Golden Gate Bridge as we slip between Angel Island and Tiburon! Err, where was I? Oh yeah, instead of posting info about your junk ad-nausea, try tweeting with someone as if you were sitting together on a ferry ride on a sun-splashed morning enjoying each others company and the promise of a new day. Are you with me?

2. Share content and information others find valuable

With the Bay Bridge and City up ahead, Golden Gate and Alcatraz at starboard bearing 090 (Wow, I just passed two prisons within a few minutes) and I realize I need to speed this up. Oh my, it’s beautiful today on the water! As you spend time nurturing relationships you should get a feel for what interests them. Give them that.

3. Support the needs of your fans, friends and followers.

We’re docking now at the ferry building so gotta hurry. Once you have a relationship going and you’re sharing in a meaningful way, look for ways you can support their interests and needs. If you can do that I think you’ll be well on your way to building your business via social media networking, and we’re…docked at the Ferry Building!

I’m now settled at a table at Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A. I’m the one in the far right of the photo below. Let’s see where was I. Oh yeah, if you’re successful establishing a relationship and are actively sharing relevant information back and forth, now look for ways you can support true needs.

On the cab ride over from the Ferry Building we passed a neighborhood laundry with a huge sign out front that simply said: “WASHED AND FOLDED.” I can only assume this business offers a service to simply wash and fold clothing belonging to the their customers who are residents in the immediate vicinity. It didn’t say, “The Best Ever Same Day Laundered, Starched and Boxed Shirt Service,” just: “Washed and Folded.”

Translating this to social media networking and the idea of supporting needs, this says to me that (a) Solutions, or what we deliver via social media interactions doesn’t need to be overly complex and (b) It’s about offering something of value in a way that supports basic, where-they-live needs.

It’s two minutes before the conference kick-off. So far it’s been an interesting and productive day. I was able to blog and  share some thoughts on social media networking in the natural course of my daily movements. Part of the conference was to think about “One Big Idea” you have about implementing this new marketing. It made me think about what one of the panelists (Rick Burnes of HubSpot) said when referring to being in a content marketing mindset: “It needs to come out of every move you make.”

My Big Idea

The big idea I came away with is that social media networking for business needs to be woven in and a part of every thing we do. It’s most authentic and effective when it’s intertwined with every move we make…even if that begins on a ferry boat ride, continues through a conference and ends on the trip back replying to email, tweets and group discussions on LinkedIn.

It’s not like you have to do social media networking. It’s that you get to do it. One of the last tweets I read and responded to this night came from @joelcomm. Which I read on my Blackberry’s UberTwitter just before docking back in Vallejo: “Ok, the future is here. I am on my iPad, streaming video, playing Gamedock and answering email from 36,000 feet.” To which I tweeted back:  “@joelcomm I’m on a ferry zipping across the SF Bay reading your Tweet from up high! Some future, wonder what tomorrow brings?”

I think the objective is not to build social media into business, but to build business around a social media experience.

Isn’t it amazing we GET to do this?

Insights, Highlights & interesting comments from the conference about marketing via social networks and beyond:

Search Twitter for hashtag #nme10 for a rundown on what people at the conference tweeted about it

“Always be helping is the new always be closing” – Scott Albro, Focus.com

“5,000 visitors is a substantial number in the B2B space where it’s more about quality than quantity.” Scott Albro

“Piggy back your new social media campaigns onto your proven engagement campaigns.” Scott Albro

“2/3 of companies do social media on the fly first and then figure out what’s working.” Chris Brogan

“45% of households have 2 or more working computers.” Tom Webster, Edison Research

“62% of home Internet access is via a Wi-Fi network.” Tom Webster

“48% of American’s have a social media profile (up 48% from 2009).” Tom Webster

“30% of those with a social media profile check them several times per day (more than double from 2009).” Tom Webster

“1 in 4 Americans are creating content on social media networks.” Tom Webster

Trust studies show 90% of people trust recommendations from people they know while only 3% trust the information in online browser ads, yet this is where most of the marketing dollars are spent. Nichole Goodyear, Brickfish

“B2B selling doesn’t start until a conversation begins.” Mike Damphousse

It’s not a sales cycle anymore, it’s a buying cycle where buyers are reading and learning and deciding who to engage for doing business. Mike Damphousse

If you suck offline you’re going to suck online. Tim Hayden, Blue Clover Studios

“I tell all my clients that everyone’s a blogger. Tim Hayden

“The more we’re connected as friends and followers, the more we hold each other accountable.” Tim Hayden

Because of social media engagement online there are more offline experiences happening now. Tim Hayden

“90% of all word-of-mouth happening takes place offline.” Tim Hayden

In the context of introducing a prospect to your brand there must be an experience of dialogue, suspense or intrigue before the engagement actually begins. Tim Hayden

“Great content starts with answering the question, ‘what does someone need to know or do?’” Natanya Anderson, Powered

“You have to get in a content mindset; it needs to come out of every move you make.” Rick Burnes, HubSpot

Brands need to curate their organization for all of the creativity and content they can produce. Natanya Anderson

Email marketing is alive and well and works hand in hand with social networking. Stu Carty, Constant Contact

An emerging trend in email marketing is to send shorter, announcement-like messages with a link to read the full article elsewhere (on a website, landing page, blog).

Email marketing tips: Less is more. Would you want to see this email in your inbox? Make it easy for people to subscribe to your list and ask them to subscribe. Make it easy for people to read and respond to your email. Refine your process – look at the stats and reports then adjust your techniques.