One of my new soap box rants on the importance of social media and social networking is that it allows clients to get to know, like and trust you BEFORE they ever meet you.

Before a prospective client picks up that phone to take your call, he or she has already formed an opinion about you and your company based on how easy it is to FIND you on Google, how easy it is to navigate your Web site, the conversations you are participating in, or, better yet, the conversations you are leading within the major social media and social networking applications.

When it comes to social media and social networking, we’re not doing anything “new,” we’re just doing things differently.

Here’s a great video showcasing the “then” and “now” of B2B fundamentals of getting to know you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXG7zYWKHGU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

Thanks to Bruce Allen for posting the video to his blog, Marketing Catalyst.