Social media are the channels that build generosity marketing

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of generosity marketing and social media.

What this means to me is social media are the suite of channels that enable generosity to be the most an effective marketing strategy. We used to be constrained by geography or budget or some other barrier to reach our audiences. Now Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other tools have given us the opportunity to find anyone that is looking for what we have to offer. Offer the most you can.

I won’t name names but several of the biggest names in business reached certain summits because they used social channels to be generous with their knowledge and experiences. On Twitter brands like Zappos, Comcast and Starbucks have showed generosity.  The History Channel is using Foursquare as a platform to give value.

Today I met the very bright, Mitch Miles, for coffee. We discussed marketing strategies and tactics that focused on generosity. We talked about connecting local people together.  We talked about being helpful in any area we can to grow others peoples’ businesses. Why? Because it always comes back to you.

In The Noticer (not an affiliate link) by Andy Andrews, a character by the name of Jones offers perspective. An entire town is enriched by his giving. We should use social media the same way. We should use it for the benefit of others. Generosity marketing is about helping enough others get what they want with no strings attached. In return, I promise you will get what you want.