“The Key to Being Successful with Your Online Social Media Marketing”
When social media came around, did you get excited thinking “Yeah, finally, an easier, free way to market”?
And since that time, do you think differently?
I ask because most small business owners I know are NOT getting clients and prospects from their online social media marketing efforts. If they are getting them, it’s very few and far between.
The reason for that, I believe, is that what people are being told to do online from so-called social media experts (on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter primarily) is NOT what’s going to generate the quality leads that you’re looking for in your small business.
I believe that using the key networking strategies that are effective at in-person events in your online efforts is what needs to happen.
Think about it this way; when you go to an in-person networking event in your local town or out of town, what do you do when you walk up to a new person you haven’t met yet?
You greet them and ask them their name, what they do and possibly ask them other questions too as they come up. Hopefully you do not just talk about yourself.
But what you most likely do not do is throw your business card or a flyer in their face and walk away from them right? That would be rude and really awkward.
So, think about what you’re doing on social media sites now. You’re throwing flyers in the faces of your friends and followers, many of whom you really have no idea who they are. You’re posting updates about your upcoming events, program, services, special offers and you’re linking to pages on your website designed to sell them or get them to opt in. Yet you have no idea who these people are most of the time, nor are you acting like you care.
Now posting stuff like this is important, don’t get me wrong. However what’s more important, especially when you first get to know someone, follow them or add them as a friend is that you find out who they are, what they do or if or how you can serve them or vice versa right? Wouldn’t that make sense to do first?
Yet doing that, especially one by one, takes too much time you’re probably thinking. You’re right, it can. However, if it is the one main way you’re going to find and convert ideal prospects on social media then wouldn’t it make sense that you spend a good amount of time doing this? It’s still free.
For an example, if you need new clients ASAP, you can pretty quickly find an in-person networking meeting or event to attend within the week where you can go to seek them out and build the relationship faster. You can do the same thing on Facebook and LinkedIn and a few other sites and forums too. But you’re not doing the right things to build relationships online; you’re blasting in their faces instead of having conversations.
I recommend you think about having more quality conversations while on your social media sites so you can maximize your time. Doing this is going to require that you strategize a little more with what you’re doing instead of just hap-hazzardly throw stuff out there and hope it works.
You may also need a plan on what to do, how many people to connect with, how to connect with them and also what to say to them when you do connect. And if you’re not that marketing or networking savvy in the first place then this could all be foreign to you and possibly a bit overwhelming. The key is to have a clear system on what to do then you can even delegate some of this so you know it will get done and not by you if you want.
May 15, 2012
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Posted by Katrina Sawa
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Trade shows can be a winning strategy to attract new clients or they can be a huge waste of time, energy and resources if all that happens is you build a eye catching display and say “hi” to people as they walk by. Do not waste this great opportunity to build your business. When formulating your trade show strategy for success use the following tips to make your connections count.
Established Associates and New Associates often differ in their opinions about networking. The “old-timers” usually say that networking is one of their most important sources of business, while the “newcomers” sometimes complain that they’re putting a lot effort into networking and not seeing much return.
Established Associates and New Associates often differ in their opinions about networking. The “old-timers” usually say that networking is one of their most important sources of business, while the “newcomers” sometimes complain that they’re putting a lot effort into networking and not seeing much return.
