I first heard this phrase when my good friend Belinda’s son Jack uttered it a couple of years ago and what a good sentiment it is. Especially now in the age of engagement where listening is totally under rated especially on our social media channels.

Social media is just that – a SOCIAL channel – not a channel to sell everything you do with every post. It is a perfect tool to engage, build communities, do market research, get feedback and educate. If every post you do is selling your product then you will quickly lose followers due to the sales nature of your content.

Now don’t get me wrong, you can softly sell on social but the approach is based on education and engaging in a two way conversation, not showing your product in someone’s face. Just look at the brands that are doing it so well and have hundreds of thousands of followers. Black Milk Clothing, Lorna Jane, Michelle bridges 12 week body transformation…. What do they have in common?

They engage, build communities, do market research, get feedback and educate. And most importantly they keep it real and relatable!

Too many people talk AT their customers and make it all about them. We have a new product, we have a sale, we want you to like our page, we, we, we we…..  it is not about you! Sorry to say it but it’s about your audience and what they want. The conversations you have should be two way and they create vital data which you can use to understand your audience and then deliver to them what they want.

Social media is the perfect tool for you to LISTEN with your ears after all we do have two of them for a reason.