Why is Jaren acting social? An introvert story.

Written by Jaren Green | 12 February 2010

My business friends called me... cagey. Some regular friends, too. They might not say the same thing today, but my natural personality is still a little introverted. Research shows... that 25% of people are introverted. (I don't really hope that other introverts contact me, but I should. Please contact me. Introverts Unite!)

Without warning, the business world has embraced Social Marketing and we all need to recognize what that means. For nearly 20 years, I (and my introverted Marketing peers) managed Marketing campaigns with a significant degree of anonymity. The messages we authored were about the company or the products, not about us.

Social Marketing changes all that. It's about people. And relationships. People buy from people they trust. Buyers (as many as 90% some studies say) will check with other buyers or customers before they buy. If you are not social, people cannot recommend you. And without the recommendation, you cannot make the sale.

Trust is the new ticket. Thanks to Barry Farber at Entrepreneur Magazine for this list of The 5 Key Components of Trust.

Trust Factors:
  1. Tell the truth.
  2. Be reliable.
  3. Work to understand.
  4. Provide Service.
  5. Give of your time.
I like these as values. We should always live this way.

A few concepts to think about:
  • Are marketers prepared to be personal spokespeople for their companies?
  • Do companies want to be represented personally by their marketers?
  • Does this change what companies look for in employees?
  • How does a person or a company manage so many relationships?

Potential privacy concerns: Suppose you have five children and you homeschool them. Suppose a potential employer thinks this is wrong (for whatever reason) and does not want to be represented by a homeschool person. Are you out of a job?

What concerns do you have as the business world becomes more social?