During lunch today, Aj and I were discussing what makes social marketing so successful. ROI can barely be measured in this environment.  I truly agree that the return on relationship is where the true value lies. 

Be authentic to your market – Don’t hide the negative feedback just because it’s negative, bring to light all feedback and address any claims around negative feedback. This gives your followers the tools to tell the truth about you and your brand because this is what people trust.

Create trust by being real – Social media is about “wisdom of friends” and friends that trust in a service or product will tell their friends about their experience and want to share it!

Take care of advocates – Successful social marketing is about building relationships, this being the highest return you could ever ask for. Friends trust friends who are advocates. They will purchase a recommended product or service and if their experience reflects the same satisfaction, a new advocate is born and the cycle continues.

Be a friend –  Ask yourself, “Would I want to be my friend?” Stay connected, keep the experience alive and well. The worst is when you remember a face but don’t remember how you met or where you know them from. Be genuine and learn from each other, building and maintaining the relationship.

Original article found here: http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/social-marketing-relationships/ on Mashable.com