We are now well into the second quarter of Exploit Yourself. Our ten contestants have dropped to eight, but this has not slowed the progress of the show. This week we turn our attention to things on the web and social media marketing.

We have been able to twist some arms at Quirk to get Scott Gray to talk to us this week. Scott was awarded the Best Social Media Marketer of the year last year so he is no doubt the best man for the job of taking us through this topic. He will be introducing the contestants to social media campaigns and how best to leverage an online presence to gain brand footprint. 

This is my take on the topic: The way the business world works today is no longer around product features and pricing. The main emphasis has shifted to relationships. People believe what people say before they believe what they read about a product or service. It has become critical to build a validated network of referral voices using web and social media platforms in order to just survive in today’s market.

These networks are not just your friends on a social platform but need to consist of a strategic group of people who perform various functions to build and maintain a level of chatter about your company. This requires that you identify these people or groups, target them with information, build a relationship and then continue to develop these through information feeds. As you can see the key point here is: Information. This is the food of any relationship and it become more critical on web platforms as there is often little or no physical presence.

We need to make sure people know what we do, how we do it and who we do it for. Armed with this information they become our sales force in the market place.

Our formula this week is Preparation + Opportunity = Connect: Be prepared with information, sales pitch, elevator pitch, business cards, flyers, brochures and business plans. Then look for opportunities wherever you go. Engage people at every opportunity, chat to them in queues, in elevators, at the coffee corner, call in on the radio, give talks, run workshops, write blogs, comment on other blogs, invite people to lunch or for drinks, share your brand and product as much as you can. Get connected.