How are you Building Your Following on Social Media?

Social Media - What, When, Why, How to Grow Your Following

It seems lately the most questions and feedback I get is regarding Social Media.  Everything from I ‘just don’t get it,’ ‘I’m not getting any traction,’ ‘I don’t know what to do/what to post,’ etc.  So I’ve put together a list from my knowledge and research.  Please let us know what’s working for you.

Why do you or should you use Social Media as a marketing strategy?  According to statistics more people use Social Media to look for businesses, products, and services.  If you’re on Facebook, how many times have you seen someone ask for a recommendation for a product or service?  There is one particular group in the Atlanta area on Facebook that I belong to where people are asking for everything from who is a good auto mechanic to finding a roommate.  People would rather trust their ‘friends’ for a recommendation than Google.

Just like a ‘brick and mortar’ business, you have to have a presence on Social Media, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc.  (Those are the 3 main players.)  If you can manage more, great – go for it.  As in your marketing material, you want the same look, i.e. branding across all sites.  Also try to use the same Business name across all social media sites.  Create custom banners to include phone number and website.  Clients and Prospects shouldn’t have to search for how to get in touch with you.  Make sure your Page Info is complete with a good description of your business, years of experience, and why they should do business with you.  Post your hours of operation, your website, and any other pertinent links.  All of this has a bearing on the demographic of who sees your posts.

Before you get clients and sales, people have to know you exist.  You have to gain a following and build a relationship of trust.  So how do you get a following, you ask.  You start with your friends that you currently have.  Ask them to ‘Like’ and share your page.  Offer an incentive to ‘Share’ your page such as a gift or discount.  You can also pay to build your following by boosting your posts.  A word of cautious here, don’t do this to often because it loses its effectiveness.  Once in a while is OK or perhaps when you have a big promotion and/or event that you want to promote.

Another way to build a following is to be a follower.  Seek out like minded successful business people, perhaps people you already know.  Follow them.  Like their page and their posts.  Comment and be interactive.  They will be more apt to follow you and Like your page if you are engaging with them.  This is not a one way street. 

If you are ‘brick and mortar’ business, post a sign that says ‘Like’ our Facebook Page, ‘Follow us on Twitter.’  This should also go into all your marketing and advertising material.  Print it on your business cards too.  Put it in your signature field in all your emails.  Make it a live link.  When setting up profiles, many sites give you the opportunity to link to your social media sites and if they don’t, then list them in your description.

So what and when do you post: 

(Most of these tips are from Forbes and Inc.)  The links are at the end of this article)

-        Number 1 Rule – Be Consistent!  If that’s 1 a day or once a week or somewhere in between, that’s OK, Just Be Consistent.  Don’t go long periods of time without posting. 

-        Offer Education and Information – Good content (the more original the better) will prompt people to share and retweet the information.  Plus this establishes you as an authority in your industry.

-        Don’t forget the Entertainment Value – A little light humor goes a long way to humanizing your brand.  People want to know you’re human.

-        Throw in some Inspiration – Inspiring quotes and photos makes a brand feel less commercial and also increases Likes and Shares.

-        Video is Huge!  Don’t shy away from the camera.  This is a great way for people to get to know you and learn about you and your business.

-        Offer an Exclusive – Even if it’s just a first look.  People want to feel like they are part of your ‘Inner Circle.’  Perhaps offer a discount if they tell you they saw a certain post on Facebook or Twitter.

-        Be Responsive – Reciprocation is key.  Keep up the dialogue.  Respond and engage with others in your network, Like, and Share their posts.

-        Brand Your Photos – If you like to take photos, brand them with your logo or website URL before posting.  Google + and Instagram in addition to Facebook are great places to post photos.

-        Use your keywords – Use your keywords in your posts.  Think about how your prospects would Google for your product or service.

-        Use Hashtags – Hashtags are where it’s at these days.  Use relevant hashtags in your posts.  This will get you more new followers who are searching out particular hashtags.  Search out what hashtags are being used that relate to your business.  i.e. #virtualassistant, #relationshipmarketing

-        Engage Your Audience – Ask questions, have contests, ask for opinions, etc.  You’ve got to have a good following to do this effectively.

-        Have a Facebook ‘Fan of the Month.’  People like to be recognized.  Post on your page.  Give them an incentive to ‘Like’ and Share your page.

-        Pay attention and review your statistics – What is working?  What gets more Likes?  More interaction/engagement/shares?  Post more of that.

-        Time of day matters – Typically most people check their social media sites at about the same time – early morning, mid-day, early evening, and before bed.  So when scheduling your posts, keep these time frames in mind.

-        Monitor your page – Be sure and respond to comments, questions, and customer feedback both positive and negative.  If your page gets reviews, be sure and thank the person for their review and feedback.   

-        If you choose to outsource, be sure they are speaking ‘in your voice.’  Outsourcing can free up your time, but be sure that what is being posted for you meets your approval.  Review your sites often.

-        Schedule your posts – This is one feature you can use on Facebook.  If you have several things to post, rather than post all at once, schedule them over the time frame you would normally post.

If you’ve read all of this, then your eyes are probably glazing over about now and you’re

probably thinking about just giving up – Don’t – Rome wasn’t built in a day.  How do you eat an Elephant?  One small bite at at a time.  If you feel this is just to overwhelming for you and you don’t have an in-house marketing/social media department, I can help.  This is part of the services I offer, from setting your business pages, linking your accounts, and posting.  I can do it for you and/or teach you how to do it.  Contact me and let’s have a conversation so that you can use Social Media for a great marketing strategy.

Happy Posting/Liking/Sharing/Tweeting!

Annette

Virtual Assistant specializing in Relationship Marketing

Painted LadyEnterprises

Reference links:

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/gikd45eedk/how-to-build-a-social-fo/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2014/09/29/25-ways-to-grow-your-social-media-presence/   

http://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/39-ways-to-get-more-social-media-followers.html

http://paintedladyent.blogspot.com/2013/10/dos-and-donts-on-what-to-post-on.html

http://paintedladyent.blogspot.com/2013/05/social-media-its-about-being-social.html

How to Get the Most from an Expo

I gave a presentation recently to a local chamber of commerce on 'how to get the most from an expo.'  Over the course of my business career I have worked many expos, trade shows, festivals, etc.  First I will say, they are a lot of hard work and the results are not always seen immediately.  Plus, expos can be very expensive and time consuming.  So if that doesn't give you pause, then lets talk about about what can be done to ensure you do your part to make it as successful as possible.

Before signing up for an expo, trade show, festival, etc., think about why you are doing it. 

What are your expectations?

• Get Exposure
• Get Leads/Referrals
• Build Relationships
• Sell Products
• Who is your Target Market?

Based on your answers, determine if the expo in question will help you attain your expectations.  Once you have decided and signed up to do an expo, prepare and plan in order to maximize your results.

Before the Expo - Prepare and Plan  

• Obtain and Read the vendor/expo rules
• Determine how much area you will have to display
• Are there any restrictions?
• If possible request ahead of time the most optimum space for your display, i.e. against a wall, corner space, front/back of the room, near the food/drink, etc.
• Will you need electricity?
• Floor covering
• What will be provided, i.e. table, table covering, back drop, etc.?

 Before the Expo - Determine Needs

• What marketing printed material will you need? i.e. brochures, flyers, business cards, etc.
• Signage - banners, stand up signs, etc.
• Promotional products, give-a-ways
• Lead generation forms
• Door Prize(s)

***Get all of these materials ordered in ample time to receive before the day of the expo.***

Before the Expo - Advertise!

Do Not depend on the Expo planners to generate all the traffic to your booth.  If your place of business is within a 100 miles of the expo, be sure and do the following:

• Notify ALL of your Customers and Prospects
• Offer a gift/discount if they come by your booth
• Put up a sign in your place of business
• Post on ALL Social Media Platforms often and up until AND the day of the Expo
• Hand out flyers at all the networking meetings/events you attend prior to the expo
• Put flyers in all orders prior to the expo

Tips for Setting in Booth -

• Make it welcoming and inviting
• Make it colorful
• Less is More - Don't display to much to the point that it looks cluttered
• Have it be interactive - Have a reason for them to stop, look, converse.
• Offer a special offers/discounts just for the expo
• Have a candy dish/bowl
• Have a 'fish bowl' and lead generation forms to collect prospects information - Offer a door prize
• Have your door prize prominently displayed - Make it showy

Preparation -   

• Solicit help for the day of the expo to help set up, man the booth, break down, and pack up
• Train your helper(s) ahead of time so they understand what you want them to do as well as what to say when they are manning the booth for you
• Do a mock set up of your booth ahead of time to ensure you can display within the guidelines of space provided
• Make sure you have all your 'props' and material together ahead of time
• Make a 'what if' kit for anything you might need the day of the expo, i.e. pins, tape, scissors, hammer, pliers, screw driver, etc.

Day of the Expo -

• Dress appropriately
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Arrive early to set up or set up the day before if possible
• Make friends with your booth neighbors
• Get set up in plenty of time to visit the other vendors.  (Depending on your business, they may be your best prospects.)
• Wear a name tag
• SMILE!  It's Show Time!

DOs and Don'ts -

DO -

• Do wear a name tag
• Be ready to meet and greet
• Greet people and start a conversation
• Keep your table/booth area free of trash, etc.
•  Have Helper Take Photos and Post on Social Media
• SMILE!  Have a Good Time!!
• Stay until the End - I have met some of my best prospects at the end of many events
   

Don'ts -

•  Don't sit behind your table
• Don't be on your cell phone
•  Don't have so many helpers that prospects
  can't get to Your Table/ Booth
• Don't be over aggressive and/or pushy
• Don't stand around talking to your neighbor
  

  and/or helpers and not paying attention to prospects
• Do not eat at your table
• Don't break down and start packing up early

After the Expo - The Fortune is in the Follow Up

Did you know that 80% of trade show vendors do not follow up?

In fact, check out these statistics -  

• Follow Up Within 24 to 48 hours
• Email ALL Prospects a Thank You for stopping by your booth
• Announce Winner of Your Door Prize in your email and on Social Media.  Include a photo if possible.
• Call all HOT Prospects within 24 to 48 hours
• Mail Thank You Cards to those who purchased
• Add prospects to distribution lists
• Continue to Keep in Touch - Sometimes prospects don't realize they have a need until sometime later.

Many of the items in the outline above are some of the services we provide especially around follow-up and keeping in touch.  See our list of Services on our website. 

  

I hope you found this information helpful.  If you have a group that would benefit from this presentation, contact me for information on scheduling.  I recommend the presentation be scheduled to be presented about eight weeks out.

If you have questions or suggestions to add, please let us hear from you.  We would love to hear your stories about successful and not so successful events.  We can always learn from those experiences that weren't as successful as we thought they should have been.

 

Your comments and feedback and welcomed and appreciated. You can provide feedback on our Facebook page as well as here on our blog.

Happy Expoing !
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises

Security on Facebook Business and Personal Pages

I recently worked with a client to set up their business Facebook page.  They had lots of questions regarding their personal page and the security and how it interconnected with their business Facebook page.  *The only connection with a personal Facebook page and a business Facebook page is if you have your business listed on your personal page or linked as your place of employment.  For example, when you go to my personal page, I have listed as my place of employment  Painted Lady Enterprises which links to my business Facebook page.  I do recommend that if you have a business and there is a larger corporate entity, that you not link to their page, but rather to your individual Facebook business page, i.e. as a realtor whose broker is Keller Williams, rather than linking to the Keller Williams page, link to your own Facebook business page, i.e. Sally Jones, Realtor with Keller Williams.

Here are a few recommendations to consider when setting up a Facebook page for your business:

• *Set up a Facebook business page, not a personal page, not group page, not a community page.  If it's a personal, group, or community page, you will have to approve people.
• Be sure you are logged into your personal Facebook account and/or whomever is setting up your page is, so it is connected to you.  So many times I find that someone else has set up a business Facebook page and the owner of the business cannot access it to make any changes because it is not tied to their personal account.
• Link your place of employment on your personal page to your business Facebook page
• Have a custom banner for your business Facebook page with your phone #, logo, etc. 
• List an address for the location of the business especially if you have a 'brick and mortar' business.  I recently saw a post for a business that I thought had closed.  They had moved, but had no address listed on their Facebook business page. 
• Complete the 'About' section - Short and long description.
• Complete the 'Page Info' page - Hours of operation, location, products/services, website, phone #, etc.
• Customize your settings - Age of your audience, countries you are marketing to, messaging, etc.  If your products are for 18 and older, then list as such.  If your products and services are only available in the United States, then you don't want to market to foreign countries.
• Link your Facebook business page to your other social media accounts, i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
• And be sure and mark 'Yes' to be suggested when people search for similar products/services.

Once you get your business Facebook page set up and you are still worried about your personal page being exposed, Click Here for an article from Forbes on some tips on security for your personal Facebook page.

Still need help?  Contact us.  This is one of the services we offer.

Let us hear from you on what other recommendations you have for Facebook business pages.  Your comments and feedback and welcomed and appreciated.

In appreciation,
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises

How do you recognize professionalism in someone?

Merriam-Webster defines "professionalism" as " the skill, good judgment, and polite behavior

that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well."

Not so long ago there were only a few professions that people referred to as 'professionals,' i.e. doctors, attorneys, CPAs, musicians, and certain ball players.  Now almost every profession boasts of being a 'professional.'  So what comes to your mind when you hear the word professional especially as it relates to an individual in the sales field?

Here are 15 traits that I believe demonstrates a persons' professionalism:

1.     Their positive attitude.  Rarely do you see a real professional with a negative attitude. They see the glass as half full instead of half empty.

2.     Their timeliness.  A Professional is early ALL THE TIME.  They demonstrate by their actions how much they value YOUR TIME by being early.

3.     Their commitment.  A Professional is committed to doing the best job possible in their given industry.

4.     Their appearance.  Professionals look the part of their industry.  Would you want your financial advisor running around in a jogging suit? Would you expect your fitness trainer to be wearing a suit?  First impressions are very important.  Sometimes you don’t get a second chance.

5.     They are prepared.  Professionals don’t ‘wing-it.’  They are prepared at all times with their sales presentation and materials.

6.     They focus.  They are focused on the task at hand.  They silence their cell phone and give their undivided attention to the person or the meeting.

7.     Demonstrates a willingness to learn.  A professional is superbly knowledgeable about their product or service, yet is always wanting to learn more.  If they don’t know the answer, they are honest and will say so, but are willing and eager to research in order provide the correct information.

8.     Their reliability.  Professionals do what they say they will do and usually more.  

9.     They follow-up and follow through.  Professionals follow up to ensure their clients and prospects have all they need to feel comfortable with their decisions.  They also keep in touch with prospects for when the time is right to make a decision to move forward.

10.  They are accountable.  They understand their commitments and typically hold themselves to a higher standard than what is expected.

11.  They add value.  A professional usually delivers more than they said they would.  They are ‘Solution Driven’, i.e. they want to help the client find the best solution even if that means not making a sale.

12.  They are trustworthy.  Professionals can be trusted to provide their prospects and clients with industry information, not just information about their particular product/service.  

13.  They are Caring.  Professionals always demonstrate their caring people skills by treating others as "people" rather than "resources."  They listen, they’re empathic, and want to learn more about the person and their needs.

14.  They are not ‘Pushy.’  Professionals understand that it’s more about building the relationship rather than just making the sale.  They do not shame or bully a prospect into buying their product/service.

15.  Gracious.  Professionals are gracious.  They present their products or services, but realize that not every person will become a client.  Also, they do not bash another product/service/company and/or sales individual.

What else would you add to this list?  What other character traits do you look for in a sales person?

Happy Selling,

Annette

Painted Lady Enterprises

"Helping My Clients and Their Business Look Good"

Do You Offer Complimentary Consultations?

Most businesses offer a complimentary consultation to talk with a potential client about whether or    
not their products and/or services would be of help to them and their business.  And as long as the business owner and the client have the same expectations, everything is cool. 

In today’s world of ‘transparency’ not everything is as it seems.  Often times though a business owner will disguise their motive for a meeting in many different ways.  My advice, as a business owner, is to ensure you clearly explain the purpose and agenda for the meeting ahead of time so that your potential client feels comfortable meeting with you.

I offer my clients a complimentary consultation more so to explain what and how I do things and to gain their confidence and trust.  Because as a business owner, I only want to do business with those I know, like, and trust. 

So here are my list of ‘Do and Don’ts’ for setting up Complimentary Consultations -  

• Do set a time limit for the consultation – this is for your benefit as well as the client.  If the time runs over, it’s your call as the business owner to end the meeting.

• Do provide an outline of what will be discussed.

• Do bring your sales material with you and discuss it with the client Only IF they want to move forward.  If they are not ready to move forward, leave it with them for future reference.  Not every person you meet with is ready or wants to use your product or service.  If you are gracious about it, they will remember you when they are ready or want to refer you.

• Do turn off your phone and put it away.   Focus and put your full attention on your client.

• Don’t high pressure sell.  More than likely you will lose their trust and confidence and any potential at all of doing business with that person in the future.

• Do send a Thank You note after each meeting thanking the potential client for their time.  This is another way to gain their confidence and trust.

• Don’t bash a potential client to another person and/or on social media even if you don’t mention names.  People can figure it out.  Who wants to do business with someone who talks about others behind their back.  Find some other way to vent your frustrations.

• Do keep your pipeline full.  Even when you think you have all the business you can handle.  Things happen.   

• Do keep ‘dripping’ on those potential clients.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised when the one you thought you would never hear from gives you a call and is now ready to do business.

What other advice would you give on this topic?  Your comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy networking,
Annette
Painted Lady Enterprises
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