The First 3 Steps to Social Marketing Success
You’ve probably seen this common headline:
"Social Media Can Work for Your Business."
That's great and all, but there's one major problem...
Social media aficionados have flooded businesses with so much information for connecting online that they've dazed and dizzied the very people they were trying to reach. Businesses who may have had plans to push themselves into this hot new realm of marketing are feeling overwhelmed. Nobody knows where to BEGIN to use social media in business.
That’s where I come in.
I’m here to give you the first 3 steps to being successful in social marketing.
STEP 1: Stay focused on the QUALITY of your content.
Today, content is about quality over quantity. Don’t just spam a link across all the social media sites just to “put something out there.” Quality content starts a conversation. Conversation encourages engagement. And engagement fosters sharing. So…
STEP 2: Encourage ENGAGEMENT.
Your clients believe in you. This is why they are your clients. Empower them to amplify your voice and message by encouraging them to share their comments about what you are writing about or what you have done for them (saved them time, money, or hassle; increased their sales, traffic, or know-how — whatever the case for your particular product or service may be).
You can encourage your clients to become part of your brand and conversation. If you provide engaging content, your social networks will likely provide an entirely new marketing channel for your business all on their own.
STEP 3:Focus on your customers’ NEEDS.
If you write your marketing messages from the perspective of how you can best help your customers, the natural progression of social engagement and sharing will follow. Why?
Social search and online marketing are driven by two things: paid advertising and people sharing content. So craft your message to fill a need. Solve a problem. Make a connection. People will appreciate that and share your message (along with your company's name) with someone else — FREE!
So whether you decide to use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Digg, LinkedIn, Google+, or {insert latest social network here}, remember what all these social media platforms have in common:
They’re all supported and run using the power of PEOPLE.
That’s right — they’re run by your clients and others who want to engage in a conversation with YOU!
So start talking. It’s that’s simple. Start crafting your message using these first 3 steps for social marketing success. That’ll start you on the right path for using social media in YOUR business.
Don’t get bogged down with how to get your message out there. Just pick a platform, and let quality, engaging, and customer-focused content be your guide. You can do it!