9 Ways Social Media Is Just Like Sex

People say there aren’t rules to social media, but I disagree. There are fundamentals to communicating and marketing on the web. The online consumer expects something different than the offline world. So I figured I’d put something interesting together, to help people understand and remember the fundamentals.

A good way to help people understand something is to relate it to them. Figuring, almost everyone can relate to sex – here’s a way to think about social media…

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Treat Your Partner Well and They’ll Return the Favor

When it comes to social media (just like sex), it’s all about keeping a two way conversation and sharing. Give your consumers value, and offer them something they can’t get anywhere else. Do something special, and they won’t go anywhere else.

Hopefully, your consumers don’t think your social media strategy is one sided, just like you’d hate sex if it was never about you.

Social Media Is All About Passion

Not in the mood? The sex is going to suck. Similarly, if you’re not 100% passionate about your product, what it does, and your consumers, your social media campaign is going to suck.

You Just Have To Tell Someone About It After

Think Monica Lewinksy; she had an affair with the President and just had to tell someone. Same thing happens in social media. A good campaign is hard to keep to yourself, especially if its something exclusive.

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Like Sex, Social Media Can Make You Happy

You don’t really need a study to tell you that sex makes people happy (here’s one in case you do). But, did you know that blogging can make you happy too?

They also hypothesized and found support from their data that when these kinds of social connections increase or grow deeper through blogging, a person will also feel a greater subjective sense of well-being or happiness. [credit]

Playing Just the Tip Doesn’t Count, You Have to Commit

Don’t really know what I’m talking about when I say, “playing just the tip”? It’s ok, UrbanDictionary (semi-nsfw) can help. Just like that doesn’t really count – you can’t just try out social media.

For an effective campaign, you have to commit. Commit the resources, time, and people to building a proper strategy and executing it.

The First Time Is Always The Hardest But The Reward Is Worth Doing It Again

For most, their first time is nerve wracking and generally not nearly as good as every subsequent try. Just like social media, your first campaign may be a dud, but as you do it more, you learn from your mistakes. You learn what makes your consumers happy, and what they want.

The More Scandalous It Is, The More People Want To Talk About It

The idea that fuels every gossip magazine in the world can also be the reason why your social media campaign goes viral. Think scandalous, exciting, new, and edgy.

An example of a campaign that pushed the envelope and got a lot of buzz is the Skittles Homepage Redesign. Skittles changed their homepage to be a stream of all mentions of “Skittles” on Twitter. It was scandalous because it wasn’t moderated and anyone could say anything. Because of these things, everyone talked about it.

Cheating Is Bad And Can Get You In Trouble

Ever cheated on a spouse? It tends to end in pain and suffering for everyone – and usually no more sex. Same thing happens in social media. Try cheating and watch the backlash.

Target did it with their Facebook page, when they introduced “rounders” to the page. Rounders were given discounts and products from Target to share with their friends. It would have been great until Target decided to keep it all a secret. They cheated on their consumers, who thought they were getting unbiased reviews.

“Your Mission: Try not to let on in the Facebook group that you are a Rounder,”

“We love your enthusiasm for the Rounders, and I know it can be hard not to want to sing it from the mountaintops [and in the shower, and on the bus]. However, we want to get other members of the Facebook group excited about Target, too! And we don’t want the Rounders program to steal the show from the real star here: Target and Target’s rockin’ Facebook group. So keep it like a secret!” [credit]

You Can Always Ask for Advice

In the end, it’s not wrong to ask for help. Need advice on sex, there’s so many ways to ask and almost anyone is ready to give you their two cents.

Similarly, “social media experts” are always clamoring to talk about how they do things and give their advice. Be careful who you listen to so you don’t get wrong information, and make sure you do your research. Help is not hard to come by, and can totally be worth it.

Hopefully, this post helps your remember the fundamentals to social media. Have another idea that should be added? Did I miss something? Leave a comment and let me know!

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