Communicate. It is what we do in just all about all aspects of our day. Whether it be verbal or non-verbal we are constantly communicating and conveying a thought, an action or some sort of emotion. In order to communicate, we have to connect. In social media, connecting is why we are here. We read blogs to connect with the author, comment by sharing our feelings about the article and then to share it on the various platforms to connect with others. To connect there has to be some sort of purpose or meaning behind it. That meaning is defined by the actual communication but always involves some sense of belonging.
Belonging
We want to feel accepted and belong. Why? Socially and emotionally we need to. If not, we become isolated and in turn incapable of connecting. We feel left out, afraid to connect as the fear of not knowing what to say (or better what we feel those that we want to connect with want us to say) which ultimately leads to the fear of rejection. No-one enjoys rejection as it has a causal effect on our self esteem. The more we belong, the higher our self esteem and the higher our self esteem the greater success we have. The greater the success (whether that be actual or perceived) that we have the more people want to connect and communicate with us. Everyone wants to be a part of or know the successful people. For they are deserving despite us never really knowing anything about them other than that they are the elite and by connecting and communicating with them will bring us to the front of the success line.
Communicating through Connecting
To communicate, we have to have some sort of connection. In traditional advertising, the message was sent via a one way communication tool and consumers connected with the message. In social media, we connect in a different way as the sense of belonging is enhanced and so very public. We Like pages and all of our Facebook friends can see, a big difference than what we were used to. In the past, when we connected, the outward display of the connection was the purchase and then wearing an article of clothing with their logo, team name, player name and other items that were not as visual like the food in our cabinets, the brand of plates, silverware, soap, etc. We bought them but they were hidden behind cabinets.
The purchase was still a one way communication unless we reached out to the manufacturer which we do not do for everything that we buy. So while we were communicating, it is a bit muddy as yes there was/is a connection, but to truly connect we have to have some sort of known exchange to where we are seen and/or heard. Social media brings that aspect to the table. This is why we hear over and over that companies not taking part in social media or not utilizing the tools in such a manner that creates the communication by connecting are missing a big piece of the pie.
The 2 Greatest Communicators
The 2 greatest communicators are not very complicated. Actually they are something we do every day, very frequently actually. It is the basics (with shiny new tools, we seem to lock up the basics in the basement and then when things go awry, we head on down there and unlock greatness) that we are taught at a very young age:
1. Question
2. Answer
Yes, that simple. How are these the 2 greatest communicators? We can ask questions that no-one answers or give simple answers. Here is where it gets a little complicated as the quality of the question predicts/determines the quality of the answer. Of course this depends upon if what we are seeking in the response as sometimes a yes or no suffices but they are potentially paving the way for the communication to cease. We see this all day long as we are privy to conversations or lack there of on Twitter and Facebook constantly. As a company that is trying to connect, communicate, engage and create dialogue the question becomes the most important communicator until the answers start to come in as they then become the greater communicator. People have connected, want to be a part of what you are asking by submitting their answer and belonging.
So, what questions are you asking to connect and communicate?
If you enjoyed this post, please, by all means, share to connect with others and start communicating by getting the conversation going. The basement door has been unlocked and a whole lot of belonging and acceptance awaits you.
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