Living by the Seasons
The first law of social media is, what we sow together, we grow together. In the 1950’s and 60’s, rural agricultural American life was influenced by the seasons. There was a season for working the soil to prepare it for planting seeds for crops and food. There was a season for planting and caring for the growing plants. There was a season for harvesting full-grown plants for sale in the marketplace. There was a season for allowing the soil to rest as a woman rests after giving birth.
Social Media and the Seasons
Social Media is the 21st Century soil, a new agricultural context where the global community comes to plant. Planters sow seeds of invested time, talent, and money to enhance relationships and profit.
Prepare the Soil
As on the farm, so it goes with social media. The soil of social media, the human element takes time to prepare through information.
Once information for action is in place, act. Soil must be broken, (intentional relationships established and nurtured) turned over to make ready for planting. Think of it as foreplay. Social media without the influence of intentional relationships sharing common interests is not social.
Plant the Seed
Loved and well cared for soil mated to good seed produces more than soil that is not. Planting must immediately follow prepared soil.
In social media, this means investing the necessary time to develop effective, functional and productive relationships with your social media communities. Where you have 10 relationships in a social media community and each has a group of 10, all enjoy the influence of 100. With shared interests negotiated and agreed to, time to act together has arrived. Sow the seed! Release the promotional campaign. Exponential influence is possible.
Be Valuable to Soil and Plant Growth
The work is never complete. The value of relationships is in their intentional continuity. The conversation continues building on further inspiration for how to accomplish more, simpler and faster for enhanced gain. Never forget soil and seed hold the potential for profit. Be valuable to your relationships.
Continuous acts of relationship building work the soil of social media. Working together works best when interests, agenda, and participation are shared.
Harvest for the Marketplace
The 21st Century soil of social media is no different from the soil of 1950’s and 60’s rural agricultural America. Loved, cared for and prepared soil receives planted seed and provides a safe womb to grow. The work does not stop with planting. Loved and cared for plants grow to full term for cutting and delivery to the marketplace. The season of rest is but for a moment. What we sow together, we grow together.