Be the social media tortoise

The tortoise and the hare. Interesting story, right? The slow and steady eventually win the race and beat those who think a bit of initial effort can allow them to rest on their laurels.

The same is true of social media marketing. When developing your social media strategy you have to realise that slow and steady wins the race. You can't get 5,000 Twitter followers in two weeks. You can't expect to build a Facebook community overnight. Sure, in some rare cases it does happen. But for most of us, consistency is key.

The initial buzz of social media engagement wears off after a while. After enjoying being paid to be on Facebook all day long, you eventually realise that to build a sustained, enthusiastic community is going to take effort. Its going to take time.

Just like when you move to a new area it takes time to form new relationships, so too is the same online. You dont know yet who your most active respondents are, or what your community likes or dislikes about your product.

But you will do-in time- by consistently engaging with social media, on a regular basis.

Vary the types of engagement you use. Post questions, videos, quotes, facts, news stories, interviews, articles, podcasts- rotate your engagement every so often.

Make sure you don't become forgotten- become an integral component of that person's social media experience. Make a social media diary to note your engagement. Are there times when your posts work best? Think of what time zones your customers are in and when they will be engaging.

Consistent, repeated effort is the key to success. You'll be building an impressive array of backlinks to your site- as well as a loyal fanbase who look forward to your regular interactions with them.