It's Always Personal

by Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor

Do you have a Blog? Are you on Twitter? Have you set up your Facebook account? Do you Post? Do you Tweet and Retweet? Do you Share, Like and Friend? I hope you do. I hope you do all of these things to promote yourself, your interest and your craft. In our society today it is so important to be a part of the Social Media. It is so important that it has become a major part of marketing.

YouTube reaches millions in minutes it seems. People become overnight celebrities with millions of hits from around the world. Many times they are able to use this as a platform for their pursuits. They are seen on early morning and late night television. What a fast track they seem to be on.

How fortunate for them we all say as we begin to pursue these same paths. As we do we tend to expect the same immediate rewards, immediate celebrity, and overnight success? Not all of us will be greeted with the same success or the same timeline we have seen in others. The odds are not in our favor.

Should we not be so fortunate what then do we do?  Many will become disconcerted. Frustration will set in and lack of success, or the tardiness of it, will bring questions concerning the path they have chosen. They may even question the dream they have pursued. They have failed to see the fundamentals of marketing, which deals with personal relationships. It is a personal thing.

When all the doubt sets in and the quick paths to success seem to have failed we must ask ourselves, “Were there any relationships built along the way? Did others sense I cared about them? Did they realize I was there to encourage and help them as I sought out my path? Or was I seen as a black hole taking in all around me for my gain?” People will know and respond according to their relationship with you.

Thomas J. Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, said "The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.” So much of what we do is determined by finding out what others are looking for and responding to their needs. If we take the time to build those personal relationships as we go we will find we will have many lifelong supporters.

There is no doubt in order to reach more people with our message we need the social media. I think it is obvious that we at Southern Writers Magazine are on board with that. As we reach others we should bring them into our extended family. Just as a smile can be heard over the phone, your desire for a personal relationship can be read between the lines. Lasting personal relationships are a must. Build them as you go.