By Charlie Hoehn Hoehn’s Musings (Twitter)

I hate to tell you this, but there are no secrets to social media.

In fact, the formula is quite simple: build genuine relationships with your customers, then leverage them.

Not “capitalize on” or “take advantage of” — leverage.

Unfortunately, most companies think social media is the quick fix. They think that putting up a pseudo-viral video on Youtube will help their brand equity. Or that having an impersonal, self-congratulatory blog will help them be taken seriously. Or that having friends on Myspace means people actually like them.

It’s absolutely true what Gary Vaynerchuk said: social media is word-of-mouth on steroids. But that doesn’t mean that anyone is listening to (or even cares about) what you have to say. You’ve got to build relationships and earn people’s trust, and –you don’t want to hear this– that can take a very long time.

Seth Godin is one of the most influential and respected marketers in the world. He has the most popular business blog on the internet - no small feat for one man. But he’s been blogging five days per week for almost seven years.

Do the math. That’s a lot of work.

And that’s the key to social media - you earn people’s trust over a long period of time. And you won’t be able to do that if you only speak corporate-jargon; you have to unleash an authentic, honest voice. No more talking to your customers like you’re the Wizard of Oz - those days are over. It’s time to pull back the curtain, look your audience in the eye and show a little vulnerability. And after you put in a lot of hard work, their trust will be earned.

But like I said, it’ll take a long time before you see the benefits. There are no short-cuts. So if you can’t devote your time to social media, then don’t use it…

However, I recommend you find time and make the effort. You can thank me later.

Read more by Charlie Hoehn at: Hoehn’s Musings