@TobiWanDOTA we certainly haven’t missed that the people want Diretide, but is @DOTA2 listening?
— Volvo (@volvocarsglobal) November 2, 2013
Volvo responded to a tweet from DOTA2 celebrity "TobiWan" with a fun and informed comment that had absolutely nothing to do with cars. Many companies would have just ignored the tweet or tried to use the opportunity to talk about themselves and their products, but Volvo clearly understands how to use social media and took the time to learn about the situation, even though it is not directly related to their business. People do not use social media to listen to sales pitches! They use it to have fun, make connections, pursue their personal interests, etc. Therefore, it should be our mindset as businesses to treat social media interaction as RELATIONSHIP BUILDING and not hard sales. When you focus on meaningful interactions with people and not their wallets, look at what happens:
@volvocarsglobal Wow! You guys sure are a great sport! You've found a future customer in me! @TobiWanDOTA @DOTA2
— Daryaaal (@darmyster) November 2, 2013
Now does that mean that you should never put information about your company and products on social media? No, this example is not about laying down a law for how to use social media as a business, but rather a mindset to focus on responding to customers as individuals and connecting with their intentions. We should strive to have reciprocal conversations with users, instead of talking at them, after all no one likes a person that just talks about themselves all the time. Social media should be viewed as building a relationship that can lead to a sales opportunity, but not the sales pitch in and of itself.
For a good example of how not to interact with people on social media, check out this great entry from the AG Salesworks Blog