Lots of folks are all aflutter about leveraging social media. When
you run a business, you will frequently get lots of comments from
everyone you talk with (friends, family, neighbors, new acquaintances,
employees, partners) about how you should really be using social
marketing. Social media advice has become akin to parenting advice –
lots of blanket statements from people who you barely know and who may
not even be doing it!
Most of the business owners we talk to are game for any form of
“free†website traffic and customers, but just don’t know where to
start. They’ve all heard about Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and community
website content, but they don’t understand how their business could use
them.
We’ve put together a quick guide to help you take those first steps
to social marketing. But before we get into specific recommendations
about what to say, let’s talk about how to say things:
1) Watch Your Tone — No Marketing Fluff Allowed
With parenting, telling your children
that you are the best and dictating what they should do often
backfires. However, providing them with guidance and educating them to
become self-sufficient experts can lead them to choose to come to you
and make the right decision. The same goes for social marketing.
Although it’s called marketing, your tone in social media is
different than in other forms of marketing. In this case, it’s not
about telling people you are the best, but allowing others to determine
your greatness through your expertise, helpfulness and what others have
to say. Social media is most effective when done in an informative and
guiding manner rather than a self-promoting manner. Put another way,
think about how you talk when speaking to a friend or customer
face-to-face. Then look at how you communicate via social media. Your
face-to-face “human†voice should shine through in your social media
interactions, not your “business correspondence†voice.
2) Be Engaging
Nothing can be more frustrating for a
parent than endlessly talking to a child who sits stony-faced, acting
like a wall. It can be just as frustrating with social media — reaching
out and communicating, and encountering nothing but crickets. With
social media, you’ll want to make the way you post things spark
interest and encourage conversation. Ask for comments; ask for people
to add to your guides and comparisons; ask people to share their photos
and experiments. Sometimes, like children, your followers might not
feel motivated to get engaged. Feel free to use a rewards system to
encourage the start of community (or follower) involvement.
3) Be Responsive
Social marketing, like parenting, is not
a one-way communication street. Even if you have the greatest things to
say, unless you also listen, respond, acknowledge and appreciate, your
expert voice will eventually be tuned out. When people comment or get
involved in the community of followers you establish, respond
to them. Make sure they know their input is appreciated and valuable.
Become an active member in your members’ communities – comment on
things that they post and stay engaged with them. Beyond your immediate
community, also leave comments on posts from other experts or news
organizations on issues related to your community’s interests.
4) Think Beyond Yourself
As with parenting, if you can’t put
yourself into your kid’s shoes, you will have a hard time providing
them with the right set of information that makes them eager to listen
to and follow your guidance. While other forms of marketing
traditionally focus on promotion of just your business, in social media
you need to think beyond yourself. What related interests do you have
with your customers and community? What related interests can you
become an informer about? Whether complementary products, services used
before or after yours, local information, industry information, or
helpful tools, this is your chance to strut your stuff as the expert
source they keep coming back to.
As to what you should be sharing with your community of followers, you’ll want to provide information about:
1) Your Business and Products
a. In a purely informational way, post pictures and videos of your products or offerings, rates and specials information.
b. Let people know where you are going
to be participating – are you going to a conference, a local festival,
or sponsoring something?
c. Share information about new customers or new deals – let new clients know you are excited to work with them.
d. Take polls regarding existing
offerings or potential new ones. You can question folks about a product
they like the most or have them vote on a new service you are
contemplating.
2) Complementary Products
a. Are there products or services that
people are likely to use in conjunction with yours, or before or after
yours? Become an expert source – provide resources, comparisons, guides
and reviews.
b. Retweet or post links to interesting articles or blog posts.
3) Local Information
a. If you have a local business, become
a local area information provider – from festivals, to events, to
activities and attractions, provide information along with photos and
videos.
b. Discuss interesting weather events or major local occurrences; include your photos and videos.
c. Retweet or post links to interesting articles or blog posts.
d. If you sponsor a Little League team
or Girl Scout Cookie drive, people love seeing that your business is
engaged this way. So talk about it — post photos, videos, etc.,
especially if your team wins a trophy or sells the most cookies.
4) Industry Information
a. Provide reviews of products, tools, or complementary businesses.
b. Provide comparison guides and decision guides to different solutions in an unbiased manner.
c. Provide information glossaries and helpful calculators or tools.
d. Retweet or post links to industry events or interesting blog posts.
Next Up – Part II: Social Media Avenues
