Using marketing terms to describe people, their needs and the way they communicate, makes us, marketers, reduce the reality of communication into a linguistical cloud that troubles our views on people and the way they connect.
Marketers are not the only ones using their own dictionary to capture reality in a very specific speak, of course.
MDs have patients or clients, governments have citizens, marketers have target groups, recipients, fans, prospects, leads, consumers etc.
Language is powerful but it can also be destructive and reduce complex realities to simple words that enable us to see clear in the chaos but at the same time make us blind to the reality.
Why don't we just talk about people and dialogues instead of customers, prospects, leads and media?
As I wrote before, the word communication comes from the Latin word “communis”, just like the word community does.
In English "communis" means community, relation, having something in common.
There are always two people in communication and communities consist of people that engage in conversations and relationships.
Relationships work if both parties have respect for each other.
Speak, don't shout
Respect starts by speaking the same language, listening, understanding, being able to disagree and being flexible enough to be open for new ideas and change your mind (and not shouting of course).
Social media marketing is, in fact, very simple once you understand the true meaning and power of communication, relationships, respect and words.
Sometimes communication doesn't need words, but often it does. However, it always requires language: written, spoken or even body language.
We feel, think, understand and connect through language.
Words can sell, engage, motivate and be constructive, but they also can reduce the reality, shock, and even destroy relationships.
What do you think?
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