The Investment Of Giving

There’s a little diner on the block down from my office called Boomers. It’s a quaint little place run by a couple older than me (as opposed to older couple), John and Carole Taylor. The restaurant has decent food, decent prices and a good location but so do a dozen or so places within walking distance. Yet Boomers is distinctive for two primary reasons, both of which have everything to do with social media despite the fact the only time the word Internet has been used there is probably to describe the place where the cook’s hair is.

The staff is overly helpful and attentive to every customer and each gets a York Peppermint Patty upon payment.

So what does this have to do with social media? In a word: Everything.

Too many marketers are making the mistake of approaching social media from a selfish perspective. What can social media strategy do for me or my brand? How can we increase market share, conversion or awareness using social media tools? What’s in it for us?

Social media, though, is less about what you get and more about what you give. This is why marketers struggle to adapt. By turning the cost-benefit equation around and approaching social media by asking the questions, “What can we give to our consumers through social media? How can we enhance their experience? What can we put in it for them?” you set yourself up to accomplish all the selfish goals in the first place.

The customer, not the brand or the product, comes first at Boomer’s. I order a Diet Pepsi, which they serve in a can. Since the can is refrigerated, I decline the cup of ice. During the course of my meal every staff member from waitresses to bus boys to cooks ask if I need some ice for my drink. And then, at the end of the meal, when it’s my turn to pay for the services, I actually GET something for free.

No, I wouldn’t go to Boomers to get a free Peppermint Patty. But I go there because of the free Peppermint Patty.

Rob Key calls it Karmic Communication. Tara Hunt says by giving you get more. I say for marketers it’s just being human in what, until recently, has been a non-human world.

So ask yourself, “Are we concerned primarily with customers or costs, with people or profits?” If your answers are brand-centric, maybe you’re not ready for social media. If you’re all about the customer, try to find your Peppermint Patty and dive in.

Other Posts You’ll Find Interesting:

1. Free! Why $0.00 Is The Future Of Business
2. Chris Anderson Is Wrong. FreeDOM, Not Free, Is The Future Of Business
3. Disrupting The VC Business And Exploring The Because Effect
4. Better Than Free
5. Why Are You Giving Away Content For Free?

IMAGE: “Big Rewards” by trekkyandy on Flickr.
[tags]social media, marketing, advertising, free, economy of free, because effect, karma, giving[/tags]