NOTE — This is the final post in a series on social network marketing. The complete series can be found here.

Social network marketing can work in multiple ways, but there are principles that increase your chances of success.

photo credit: nsaplayer

A few of the principles are personal — knowing why you’re in business and staying focused. But most of the principles concern you’re dealings with other people — building relationships, helping people, starting a blog, interacting with people, showing people how to succeed, not selling, and forming a community.

Perhaps the most important principle brings it all together — creating or finding a system to make it all work. You must have a teachable system. Once you have that, all you need are coachable partners.

So, what might this look like? How might a person journey from stranger to acquaintance to friend to business partner or customer? Consider this scenario:

• A person sees an interesting tweet you sent out on Twitter or became your friend on Facebook and saw something of note in your updates. Or maybe they found you through a blog on which you both comment. When you connect with him or her, you mention a post you wrote that might help them.

• The person visits your blog (or might have found your blog through a search engine or through another site). He or she reads a few of your posts and discovers that you provide relevant, valuable insights.

• After reading your posts, the person leaves a comment or two. You reply. A conversation develops, and perhaps moves to e-mail or another form of communication.

• Along the way, you introduce them to a personal development process that improves their business and personal life.

• During the course of the conversation, the person mentions that he or she is looking for a way to make extra money. Or perhaps he or she has noticed a link in your sidebar. You point them to your web site where he or she finds something that will make his or her life better.

• The person e-mails you for more information or fills out a form with their contact information.

• You call him or her. You talk several times. You decide if the person is a good fit for your business, and the person decides if it makes sense to them. If the answer for both of you is “yes,” you have a new business partner.

Because the person knows you and your business, he or she is likely a committed partner. This type of partnership will be mutually beneficially to both businesses.

This is not the only way social network marketing can work, but it is one way. Success will come to those who attract and interacting with people interested in their business and follow proven principles.

Steve DeVane