Authenticity and transparency. Are they important marketing in today’s New Media marketplace? You bet! Are they, as some have proposed, the “currency” of social media? Not if you’re a business owner or marketer. Here’s why this currency concept can slowly suck your energy and profits, and what the cash-creating alternative is.

Do buzz-words equal bucks?

Authenticity & transparency are Social and New Media buzz-words. That’s fine.

The dangerous thing is when these buzz-words are used by Social Media “experts” in a way that leads people to think they are cash creators. But are they really?

There are literally billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives. Most of these people struggle from day-to-day trying to make ends meet. Many are simply struggling to survive.

When’s the last time you paid your mortgage or car payment with authenticity? Are you earning interest on your transparency account at the Social Bank of America? Of course not.

Come on, currency is just a word… isn’t it?

Now you may be thinking I’ve gone too far here. That “currency” is just a word. But words do have power. The power to focus. To stir up emotions. To make connections between what’s known and what’s new. And that’s why the currency concept is a profit killer.

Look, the definition of currency is a unit of exchange that facilitates the transfer of goods and/or services.

When people say authenticity and transparency are a “currency” it’s a direct implication that there is transactional value there. Authenticity & transparency cannot be exchanged, stored or compounded as currency can. Putting the focus on authenticity and transparency creates a fuzzy financial future for business owners and marketers.

So what’s a better way to look at authenticity and transparency?

Authenticity and transparency are merely the lenses by which people perceive congruence, character and trust. To harness their power you must act like an optometrist who adjusts a person’s vision using their Optical Refractor (yep that’s what that funny machine is called.) Instead of using a complex machine with lots of numbers, you develop the skills to control and adjust what people see when they look through the lenses of authenticity and transparency.

• Authenticity and transparency are the LENSES
• Self-Influence and persuasion are the ADJUSTMENT DIALS

Self-Influence and persuasion are (and should be) the things you can actually control. The most successful people in business, entertainment and politics know these controls are the root of power and profit.

For you, understanding the inter-relationship between these lenses and adjustment dials is what will make the difference between success, struggle or failure in today’s marketplace.

Is “manipulation” a bad word?

Self-Influence, being obviously self-focused, identifies and gives you control over your strengths. Persuasion allows you to influence others. Is this manipulation. Damn right! But you’re manipulating your mouse to read this page right now aren’t you? Since when did manipulation become a bad word?

Remember those billions of POOR “authentic” people around the world who are completely “transparent” in their daily lives? They think manipulation is a bad word too. This puts them at the mercy of anyone who understands the power of the lenses and dials. Is that the position you want to be in?

Ultimately you determine what manipulation means by how you use it an what you achieve with it. With the power to focus people on your strongest assets, and the ability to control transparency — you’ll increase rapport, trust and connections. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll have the ability to attract, stack, and spend as much REAL currency as you want.

Next in Series

Tweet This Post

-

New Media transparency can kill your business, or boost it. And this week we got a great example from the world of politics.

Entrepreneurs can learn a LOT about marketing from politics. No matter what your political stripes, the Obama campaign holds a wealth of strategies you can use creating a Tribe of raving fans in your business.

Here’s a quick video analysis that will expose one thing you better have in your marketing if you want to WIN and KEEP raving fans.

Watch and see now!

So what do you think?

Does transparency only count for presidential candidates and corporate big wigs? Or could it hurt or help you too? Share your thoughts below.

Got an example of how transparency helped you make a sale? Share your win here too!

Tweet This Post