Before there was money, before there was product, even before there was media, there was us. We existed in a world that was big, unexplored, and limitless from our childlike perspective. We existed to connect with others, whether it kids in the neighborhood, or friends at school, our personal value existed solely on the idea of relationship building. This was the purest form of marketing who we were and what we had to offer. Some of us were intellectuals, some of us were jokers, but all in all, we brought value to the relationships we built.

Today we've grown up in a world focused on profits, sales, marketing budgets, and economic woes. All of these are real issues, no doubt, but so many companies are turning the traditional model of business on its head by focusing on relationship marketing. The efforts that we once put so much time into when we were kids is coming back in a big way, but this time in a more professional setting. We're looking at companies like Southwest Airlines, H&R Block, and now Best Buy take their efforts online in order to bridge the customer service experience from the real world into the online world. Some can argue that relationship marketing bears no fruit in the end, but to those are the same people fixed on a quick, turn key solution.

Relationship marketing, especially with social media tools takes effort and is something built over time. You can woo audiences with online coupons, follower/fan specials, but that offers no substance. The relationship is more than responding to customer complaints, it's offering tips on making your product better, it's about suggesting what someone might like based on past experiences, and it's about listening to what people are saying in order to get a better grasp of where your brand stands in the social collective.

Any good marketers knows never to put all their eggs in one basket, and social media is no exception, these are simply tools you can use to help your cause. Consider bringing your audience closer by making your website more interactive. Give users options to share their voice by leaving comments on your company blog, company posted videos, and polls are always a good thing. Some companies have gone as far as creating an entirely social site tied to their brand where the community generates the content and is allowed to interact freely not just with the brand, but with other members of the community, Dell is a great example.

So take a look at how you're building relationships. The one thing you never want to do is rely on business meetings, invoices, and Points of Purchase to be the only times you interact with your audience.

Photo Credit just.Luc