So in yesterday’s blog post, I talked about the importance of engaging with people online using Social Media websites. Simply adding friends and followers, just for the numbers, defeats the purpose of Social Networking – the key word here being “social”.
Click here for the Engagement! – Part I blog post.
You wouldn’t go to a party and disappear to the kitchen and quietly eat and drink on your own without chatting to anyone….well, most of us wouldn’t!
(Side note: If you are the type that prefers to avoid interacting with other people, then you may seriously want to reconsider Social Networking as part of your marketing strategy – it may not be right for you.)
When marketing your business, you’ve heard the saying before “People do business with people they know, like and trust.”
Getting to know your friends and followers is the first part of the equation.
The next critical part of the relationship is getting people to like and trust you.
99.99% of marketers are doing it wrong!
They march straight into Social Networking with an attitude of “I’m here! Now the party can start!” without realizing that the Social Media conversation has been going on for quite some time without them. They don’t stop to listen to that conversation before delving in and pitching every person they come into contact with.
A Change In Perspective
Being successful in the Social Media world requires a change in approach.
Forget the money you want to make, forget the leads you want to generate and work on developing friendships and helping people. The art to Social Media success is to have a heart for service. Have the attitude that you are there to help people, whether they become your clients or not. This will help establish you as the “go to” person in your niche and the clients will follow naturally.
Position Yourself as a Problem Solver
Your product or service is designed to solve a problem for someone.
Who is that target market? Who is your ideal client?
What are their problems? What do they need help or advice on?
How does your product or service help them solve their problems?
Once you ask and answer these questions, you are in a position to interact in a meaningful way in Social Media. If you take the time to do this exercise, you will put yourself ahead of 95% of your competition, most of whom run headlong into Social Media without any thought as to what they should say and how they want to say it.
Let me know what you think. Do you agree? What do you see marketers do online that drives you crazy? Post your comments below.
