If I had a penny for every time I saw people treat social media as a sales tool I would be a very wealthy man relaxing somewhere on a tropical beach while sipping on a mixed drink. However, that’s not the case.

Social media marketing is all about building connections and communicating about shared interests, and it’s important not to take a sales-centric approach to using social networks. Not only will your efforts fall short, but you will actually end up turning away potential customers.

Think about if you were walking down the street and someone approached you to say they love your outfit. Now on the flip side, imagine if someone approached you then swung open their jacket to reveal a spread of watches for sale. Who would you mostly likely engage in a conversation? Exactly.

The first step to social media marketing success is to establish mutually beneficial relationships then, and only then, should you consider monetizing the digital relationships you’ve worked so hard to form.

Simply said, people don’t want to feel like you’re selling to them whether it’s at a used car dealership or on social media sites. You know the feeling and it’s not pleasant, so if you are engaging in such tactics I suggest taking a step back and revising your approach.