Facebook and Twitter are everywhere. You can tweet this or share that all over the web, but most likely, you’re doing it wrong. While they are powerful platforms, most companies, brands, and people are doing it all wrong.

In this new series I’ll introduce tips that will help you leverage social media platforms to the fullest. Don’t expect it to be easy because it’s not.

It’s all about interaction and I don’t mean “Check out my new product X, it does this and this and this and it’s awesome LOL!” Because that’s a load a bullshit and doesn’t work. You see it everywhere — people spamming their product like everyone should use it. Well those people are doing it wrong. Propaganda is for the website.

Twitter and Facebook are categorized under overly used and mis-understood term, “Social Media.” What is so social when you’re blabbing about your product?

Interact with your users and you build your brand. Chances are they already know about your product, but aren’t using it because you spam crap like this: “Check out my product – it helps you open jars that are hard to open!” Stop talking about your product and start making friends and building relationships — it goes a very long way.

Instead of spamming make friends with people even if they aren’t your customers. Chances are they’ll warm up to your product if you become friends with them. Humans are also likely to recommend you or your product it to a friend because they feel a connection. Think about it, if your best friend ran a landscaping business and your neighbor needed his lawn cut, who would you tell him to call?

Build connections with people and stay connected with them just like you would meet people at a bar, school, or the office. Talk about the same things and be personal. No body wants to talk to a billboard for a reason. It’s not easy and it takes time, but this is how you begin to build a long living brand.

Stop spamming and start making friends.