Gaining Traction on Social Media
Social Media is a powerful tool, and you can net real results for your marketing campaigns. There is a certain etiquette that must be followed, though, if you are to be successful in this forum. Here, we outline some things to consider as you navigate this territory.
Using Social Media to Reach Your Audience
In this moment, we have a huge marketing opportunity that people who came before us did not. Hello… Social Media! If your goal is to “collect” followers and likes, the result won’t mean much. Strive to make connections and increase the quality and quantity of people you talk with. Plan on adding value to the conversation. Share, read what others are thinking about, find out who they know, that you should know too. Social media is one of the best ways to promote your website and promotions, driving people to them.
Developing Your Social Media Strategy
If you try to start accounts and brand yourself in all social media sites at once, chances are, you’ll just be playing around. Like most things, social media works better with a plan. The basic formula is: Set Goals, Publish, and Interact.
Set Your Goals – What Do You Want to Accomplish Through Social Media?
Results can be varied through social media. You might want to do something as simple as reaching more people. You might want to sell a specific product. You might want to promote an idea, or start a movement. For the sake of this discussion we are trying to build our brand as an intrapreneur. So, that’s the goal.
What Social Media Sites Should I Be On?
Some sites are tailor made for the type of business you’re in. If you’re a photographer, you want to put special emphasis on your flicker or Instagram account. Maybe you specialize in how-to tech videos. YouTube is the obvious choice in this case. Are you selling something? You may want to start a Groupon account to offer deals to their subscribers. Sites like these can help you define and promote your brand in these industries.
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all good vehicles for general branding. You can post material relevant to your brand to these sites. Keep your material varied, but on topic. It’s important to throw in something random that you’re experiencing or thinking about from time to time… This is SOCIAL media, after all. While you’re building your intrapreneurial brand, show off your human brand. Make the connection. Be somebody people can relate to.
This is where we start. You’ve probably got a personal Facebook page. It’s important that you build and develop a business Facebook page as well. This is a place for learning about the influencers and connectors in your business. You can use it to connect with clients, or potential clients. You don’t want to do business on a page that is posting about that time you drank too many beers on that wild road trip with friends from college. That’s why you need two separate pages.
People have the ability to “like” or “comment” or “share” what they see on your page. When they do this, everyone that they have connections with can see that
they were moved to respond to it, and check it out too. This continues, and if your post is worthy of attention, it can travel a long distance. Posting something on your web page is just not going to have the potential to reach so many people so quickly.
To link or not to link? Should you link your personal Facebook page to your business Facebook page? That depends. Are your prospective clients and business associates in your personal Facebook realm? If not, keep them separate.
Do not be selling and promoting constantly on your page. You want to be meeting and talking with people. Overly promotional pages will actually show LESS in people’s news feed.
Your cover photo and profile photo will be public. This of what you want to present to the world when you’re thinking about your brand.
A word about hashtags: NOT on Facebook. Studies show that posts on Facebook with hashtags actually get fewer views. So… put the hashtags on hold for now.
LinkedIn is similar to Facebook in some ways, but it is particular to business. You will find business posts on Linked In. You have to be invited to join someone’s network, or you can invite them to join yours. This social media vehicle is for professional use. Get “linked” to people you do business with, or want to do business with.
You still have the ability to “Like”, “Comment”, or “Share”, but the level of interaction is more subdued than on Facebook. Think of this site for connecting with “Influencers” and “Connectors”.
Profile optimization is critical on Linked In. People will get a feel for who you are by how you describe yourself. You’ll basically be putting your resume out there for people to view.
One unique feature of Linked In is the ability to endorse people for certain skills, and to have them endorse you for skills that they know you are qualified for. This is like a lot of mini letters of recommendation. It’s definitely a cool feature.
Okay… bring out your hashtags! Your post is more likely to be viewed on Twitter if you use hashtags. Also, people can search your brand through hash tags. Adding hashtags says who you are and what you’re talking about.
On Twitter, you must remember that things move at the speed of light! New posts replace old posts, so you need to grab the attention while you can. Pay special attention to the fact that you have to express yourself in 140 characters or less. Put a link in if you’ve got more than 140 characters to talk about. As a matter of fact, you’re always going to grab people’s attention with the first 50 words, so open strong!
One unique feature of Linked In is the ability to endorse people for certain skills, and to have them endorse you for skills that they know you are qualified for. This is like a lot of mini letters of recommendation. It’s definitely a cool feature.
It’s Time to Execute
Ready! Set! Go! You’ve got your goals set; you know where to focus your efforts. It’s time to publish and interact. You need to do both to be successful.
Create or Discover Content… It’s About Adding Value
You can post things that you create, or share things that you think your audience will find interesting. Focus on your contribution, and adding value to the
discussion. Think about your brand, and what you are saying about yourself through your content.
You can and should be generous. Retweet something that you know has been well written about your business. If it’s a competitor, that’s even better. People that share the same business goals as you are important to network with.
Be Social! Interact with your Audience
There are lots of ways to interact with your audience. Many people view the posting as more important than the interaction. That’s not the case at all. If someone takes that time to like or share or retweet something that you’ve posted, especially if it’s something you created, take the time to thank them. You should thank them within the comments, or DM them, but let them know you’re grateful either way.
Respond to any comments you receive. If you don’t, it will be hard to stay engaged with your followers. Your response tells them that you’re paying attention, and that you value their feedback. Even if you disagree, you should still respond. Negative feedback or comments can be dealt with in a number of ways. Whatever you do, don’t engage in a negative debate. It will only make you and your brand look less than attractive. If you can comment back, but in a positive way, then go for it. Keep it positive, keep it informed, keep it civil. If someone posts something totally inappropriate on your social media feed, take it down.
Websites vs. Social Media
Most businesses these days have a website. How do you drive traffic to your website? Websites are a very passive platform for marketing your business.
They’re still important when people want to find out information about your business that’s concentrated in one source. But think about this. How many people visit your website daily? How many people engage in social media daily? No contest.
When you get visitors to your website, the interaction really only goes one way. Of course, people can leave comments and ask questions, but does that happen a lot? When you engage your customers or prospects on social media, it’s a discussion instead of a presentation. It gives you a chance to address concerns and answer queries right away. You can validate a visitor’s comment by liking or responding to their contribution.
When you want to have a spectacular product launch or send out an industry news blast, social media is the best place to get the word out fast. Be careful, though, it’s more about relationships than direct selling. But, those relationships increase trust and credibility in you and your brand. You need to be considered the expert on the topic.
If you are always selling, it will be a turn off, and your campaigns will have the reverse affect from what you’re after.
Adaptability is Key
This medium changes quickly! To keep your strategy effective, you have to stay ahead of, or at least keep current with trends. Always be asking yourself “What’s New? What’s Hot? What’s Coming Next?” Be prepared to go off on a tangent, if that’s what’s required. This is just one of the reasons it’s important to monitor your sites throughout the day. Know what’s going on.
Let’s Wrap It Up!
Social Media as a platform is a powerful tool. Show your strengths as a powerful business agent within your industry. Get your message out to your intended audience, and build your network.
Start building your brand today!
If I can be of any service please reach out to me: [email protected]