How Starbucks Reminded Me What Social Media is All About

espresso by lilivanili

Stopped at my local Starbucks to get a caffeine boost yesterday afternoon. When I rolled up to the drive thru, the voice on the other end didn’t immediately ask if he could take my order in a exasperated tone of voice. The Starbucks dude on the other end of the squawk box asked “how are you doing today?” and sounded like he was genuinely curious about the answer.

And instead of diving right into my order, I paused and replied with an equal enthusiasm, “I’m doing well! How are you?”

My answer to his question and return of his courtesy seemed to take the barista by surprise for a brief second. As a former waiter, I knew where he was coming from. I was always a bit shocked at the number of patrons who blasted right past my greeting to get straight to their pizza and beer order.

The interaction I had with the Starbucks dude illustrates how to be good at social media:

Have a conversation.

Don’t hop on Twitter and start blasting me with a steady stream of updates about your every move and blog post without also asking questions and commenting on other things. This piggybacks on Amber Naslund’s “Click My Junk” theory of Twitter marketing that Chris Brogan mentioned in a recent podcast interview with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.

To be effective on Twitter, Facebook, etc. you need to listen, interact, add value and THEN you can start to promote your stuff.