So you've just started defining your social media strategy.You know that in order to create an effective online social media community you need to engage, you need to listen, you need to say something relevant...but what else?
Social media marketing is scary to some people because it is an entirely new way of marketing; a way based on trust and authenticity rather than image and ideology.
To really become a powerful force in the world of social media, you need to speak to the heart of your customers.
How do you do that? By speaking from your heart.
Social media is, after all, social.
It relates to our natural ability to engage with each other as humans, our need to connect, to engage, to build meaningful relationships, rather than arbitrary, superficial ones.
Social media marketing means that you need to build a deep, lasting, trusting relationship with your customers. They need to know that behind your brand you are a person, and while you may be selling them a product or service, that you still hold common ground with them in some way.
So here is the SOCIAL of social media engagement:
Signal-noise ratio: This effectively means you don't just bombard your followers with information. Listen for the signals- think of it as an actual conversation. You'd soon walk off if someone talked at you and never asked you anything or responded to what you were saying.
Overt- Be overt in what you are saying. Don't be cryptic. Although this can work sometimes to create mystery, if it isnt obvious what you are trying to say or you are not being open, people will quickly lose trust in you. So be overt- open, honest and upfront.
Connect- This seems an obvious one, but actually many companies fail to connect because the selling of the product becomes more imperative than connecting with the consumer. As paradoxical as it sounds, the less you focus on making money and the more you focus on relationship building, the more loyalty you will get and in turn more sales.
Interesting- Be interesting! Stand out from the crowd. Again, who holds your attention in a social situation like a party? The person who talks seriously and sticks to one topic, or the witty, funny person who seems positive and upbeat? Your personality comes through online, so be interesting.
Authentic- In social media marketing, there is no where to hide. And the bigger you get, the less you'll be able to hide your online facade- so it goes without saying- don't lie! The risk of getting found out could mean you damage loyalty to your brand- something that is very, very hard to get back.
Listen, learn and lead- the three 'L's to remember. Listening is crucial- its how we make the other feel valued. Can you remember how it feels when someone doesn't listen? Yep, like they don't care. Also, learn from your listening- maybe your followers like particular posts, maybe they have strong opinions around a particular subject, maybe they tell you something about your competitor- collect this data and use it to inform your business direction. Lastly, lead- become an authority in your field. Know everything there is to know about your product or service. Keep your followers informed of all the recent developments in your area of business.
They'll love you for it- and stay committed to you.
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