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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
Reference links:
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