Social media is a new revolution, which is scary if you are not at the very cusp of the movement. It has already changed the way businesses relate to people, the way our politics are taking place, and the way we communicate on a daily basis. To clear out the information overload, here are some rock-solid pointers that you can use in your social media campaign and see benefits from right away!
Form a Presence
- Get involved! Create free accounts for the most popular services (Twitter, Facebook) using your business name.
- Get connected! Invite your friends, family and customers to follow you on your page.
- Start talking! Interact with people using your business name in your consistant voice. Congratulate graduations, ask how old their child is now, make a person-to-person real connection.
Follow and Learn
- Follow your customers! Show an interest in who they are and where they come from.
- Gain insight! Where do you and your product fit into their lives?
- Connect! Get to know people on a deeper level by interacting them via these services.
Provide Value
- Share content worth sharing. Find things that are relevant to your industry and business and post them as your status updates, and on your wall.
- Nurture your network. Don’t confuse social media with traditional advertising mediums by using your status updates to continually advertise your business. This will only get you ignored and disabled from news feeds. If you are going to inform of an upcoming sale, choose carefully and do it very rarely. Be a resource and an authority on what you know and offer every day.
Now is the calm before the social media storm. This is the year 2000 Internet story all over again. This revolutions is the humanization of business where people interact one-on-one and make a bonafide connection with each other. Those that do not make an effort will be left in the dust. Those that do make an effort will be able to compete with even the largest of corporations by being real because being real is what we all hunger for in this post-big-box store era.
To use these tools effectively, concentrate using your networks to explore your customer’s lives, and their social circles. By providing consistent value, you are always visible to both your customer and their family/friends. They will know you are a name that can be trusted and will bring their business to you. Compound all of this with advanced components as check-ins, deals, online coupons, newsletter opt-ins, and you add dynamite to the fire!
11 comments
Mitch Tulloch says:
March 15, 2011 at 6:16 AM (UTC -4 )
Great article, thanks!!
Eric Figgins says:
March 15, 2011 at 11:08 AM (UTC -4 )
Thanks, Mitch!
Donna Maria Coles Johnson says:
April 8, 2011 at 5:16 PM (UTC -4 )
Thanks for this post, and the reminder that we are living in the age of humanization of business. I think you are spot on in recognizing that those businesses without a “real face” in some form will not do nearly as well as those that do.
Eric Figgins says:
April 14, 2011 at 11:14 AM (UTC -4 )
Thanks, Donna. I believe in being authentic and transparent- one huge reason I’m crazy about social media, because it facilitates this like never before. Everyone wants to be treated as a person, not a sale… I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
Donna Maria Coles Johnson says:
April 14, 2011 at 4:13 PM (UTC -4 )
I’m stoked with you. The thought of it getting better is astounding and exciting. It’s a fun time to be alive and in business!
Karl Sly says:
April 13, 2011 at 11:23 PM (UTC -4 )
Great post Eric! Adding value to your network is one of the fundamental blocks in building a great online presence. Thanks for sharing some relevant tips.
Eric Figgins says:
April 14, 2011 at 11:15 AM (UTC -4 )
Thanks Karl. I feel we’re in a new age with social media.. one of mutual value and investment in one another and think taking care of others is vital to your own interests as well.
Kerry says:
April 14, 2011 at 6:57 AM (UTC -4 )
Great pointers – very clear, but isn’t it amazing how many people get stuck on #2 of your first point. Businesses are Very Busy, but once they start following, connecting, engaging it will become part of their marketing activity and the benefits will flow
Eric Figgins says:
April 14, 2011 at 11:16 AM (UTC -4 )
Thanks Kerry – you are absolutely right, I feel that so many get “stuck in the loop” of the tired old advertising/marketing model, instead of just being a real person with their customers. It can’t get more simple than that!
Mike says:
April 28, 2011 at 3:54 PM (UTC -4 )
Love how straight and to-the-point you are. This is a great read for any business owner curious about / interested in going social.
I’m actually in the middle of writing up a brief for my first independent Social Media Marketing client (in between recording vocals for my band’s EP, nonetheless). You’ve reminded me of a few points I couldn’t remember off the top of my head! (Thanks!)
Eric Figgins says:
April 28, 2011 at 8:58 PM (UTC -4 )
I appreciate it, Mike. I do try to illustrate that it is a simple, solid science.
Please feel free to post a link to your post here when you get done, or shoot me a link on Twitter. I’ll gladly create a post in response, if you’d like. Good luck; Have a great day!