As I started to write this article I was tempted to say how things have changed; only to be reminded of my own words ‘we are simply playing the game of life’. In this game of life we are playing, the rules have never changed – it is and always will be about relationships. That is how we play and succeed in the game of life, because we are not islands and if nobody recognises our achievement, did we achieve anything? We seem to think so, but that is only our agreement with reality, which could be viewed by others and ourselves, if we are honest, as incredibly selfish.

When people first approach the idea of using social media, they ask, ‘How can I benefit from this interaction? What’s in it for me?’ – this sounds all too familiar as some people will ask the same question when entering into a relationship.

And here, I always have to burst their me-bubble! There’s nothing in it for you.

‘Then why do so many people do it?’ they then ask.

If your intention in any relationship is centred only around what you can get out of it – then that relationship will not be healthy, and nor will it last. We should, instead, be asking what we can do for others to ensure they have a good experience around us or our brand. In short, Social Media is so popular and powerful because it gives us endless opportunities to forge mutually beneficial business relationships which – in turn – result in success! And this is why we can justify the time invested in social media.