'Engaging' requires building rapport

I just read this tweet from @SarahRobinson:

I'll laugh with you, Sarah. By the way I agree -- and I think this also relates to the concept of building rapport.

I see a lot of people simply promoting their stuff via social (rather like shouting into a crowded room and then running away). It's easy for people with a short term objective to use social as yet another media channel through which they can PUSH messages out to the ether. But will anyone get a full return on their investment in social if they only generate IMPRESSIONS? I don't think so.

To me, the true concept of 'social' necessitates people at the other end of the communication understanding and caring about the information being shared.  If they don't feel some sense of RAPPORT with the sender, they're less likely to bother to ENGAGE at the receiving end. 

I believe 'engaging' successfully requires building rapport -- and I think this part is often overlooked.

Building rapport involves listening, taking time to understand, relate and respond to other's ideas as well as sharing your own ideas, experiences and stories -- as a way to develop mutual understanding and the co-creation of value. Building rapport is central to the concept of 'building constituency' (see my post and short deck on how do that here).

You can probably tell that this is one of my current bugbears! Does anyone else relate?

Comments

[Caesar Wong]

Not sure of the context behind the original post, but my personal beef with Twitter is that it is so hard to track a "conversation". Because the only glue that exists to keep a bunch of tweets together is the hashtag, which - at best - is a pretty dismal way of doing this.

If there's any one reason why Twitter has become a broadcast medium rather than a conversational one, I'd put money on that as a key reason. That's what led me to come up with the idea of thrashtags: http://www.cyberseraphic.com/2011/07/idea-thrashtags/

[Rowan Hetherington]

Excellent points Caesar - you're right that it's harder to track a "conversation" on Twitter than Facebook or a blog post - though I'd argue it's still possible to build rapport via Twitter. E.g. by reading and commenting on stuff other people share, getting to know them a bit, connecting people to others who share their very specific interests -- and simple reciprosity.

Having said that, I love your Thrashtag idea! Maybe we (and Sarah if she wants to join in) could continue the conversation using a Thrashtag...

Sarah, bouncing this idea over to you!

[Rowan Hetherington]

Hey Caesar, Sarah was technically unable to post... but your Thrashtag idea seems to be in use - check out #stuffIBMerssay (funny!)

[Khali Whatley]

Rowan, I completely agree with your blog post - and Caesar's comments regarding why this may be the case.

I really enjoy using Twitter as a knowledge base but wish there was more social interaction. I'll be sure to start a conversation with you on twitter when I 'see' you there next :)

[Rowan Hetherington]

Khali, thanks for commenting, I look forward to engaging with you on Twitter!

[プラダ バッグ]

great site you have here btw

[Rowan]

Thanks!