08 Feb
Social networking can be one of the most powerful tools in your business’s arsenal, but only if you know how to use it correctly. It has the potential to grow your audience and bring in many new customers in ways no other platform can.
But if you don’t understand how social networking works, it can be difficult to get started. New business owners and marketers jump in without knowing the market and how it works. Give yourself an advantage when it comes to learning the right strategies for your campaign to excel.
If you’re looking to give your business a boost, there are several ‘laws’ of social networking you must follow if you truly hope to build your brand, take care of your customers, and make more money.
It seems as if everyone today has a voice, which can be used to your benefit if you know how to listen. In fact, your success depends on it. Take the time to invest in your audience’s content. Understand them.
Join the many discussions they no doubt have about what they love, what they hate, what can be done better, etc. If you come across as an arrogant know-it-all, as if you know more than they do, you won’t get too far. It’s only by listening to their needs and adjusting will you be able to serve them.
The reason why social media works so well in business and advertising is because you get to fine-tune your ads, content, and strategy to exactly the specifications that will sell your product or service.
If you remain specialized and focused, rather than doing a bunch of different things at once, you have a greater opportunity for success. Be fine-tuned and laser-focused. These are strategies you can teach yourself, so your marketing campaigns reach the right audience.
Yes, it’s possible to get hundreds of thousands of ‘fans’ or ‘followers’ on your social network. That may be exciting to you, having so many people follow you, but I can guarantee you many (if not most) of them are not quality prospects. They’re not true leads.
100 connections who actually engage, interact, share your content, and get enjoyment from what you do is MUCH more valuable than thousands who just fill up your page. That’s why you target to small sample size of potential customers verses blasting your ads all over the web.
Social media marketing isn’t an overnight, get rich quick venture. It’s about building and maintaining relationships. It’s possible, but extremely unlikely, to go viral, so be sure to plan and stick it out for the long run if you truly hope to get the results you desire.
With understanding that results often don’t come quick, that also means not treating your followers as if they are no more than a dollar sign. Actually get down and dirty growing a friendship/partnership with them.
Going along with number four, if you take the time to build a relationship with your audience, and you consistently produce amazing content, that audience will become your best source of advertising. They’ll share that content with their friends on every other social networking platform.
That will eventually help you out in the long run on Google, opening the door for a much larger and higher quality audience.
There might come a time when you find a bit of success and you get a big head about it. It’s easy to do, as it’s human nature to get comfortable, but I must implore you to never stop being a student.
The ones who stop trying to learn and grow are the ones who get left behind. As quickly as things change, there’s always something else to learn.
So take the time to find the other experts and influencers in your niche who not only will teach you, but encourage and even coach you. No matter how awesome you think you are, there’s always more to learn and ways to expand.