The New Media.
Promotion via Social Media.
There have been a lot of discussions and writing about those two topics over the past two years. However, surprisingly few home-based or small-scale enterprises are taking advantage of this lucrative “Zone” for advertising and business development. Because of its online presence, many people avoid it like the plague.
People always assure me, “I am not a geek.” In other words, we have “ungeeked the geek” and made social media accessible to many mom-and-pop shop owners.
But, of course, there are always outliers.
A business owner I was chatting with recently remarked, “I avoid sites like that. My business is struggling, and I must leave immediately to seek new clients.”
What more can be said?
That demonstrates incomprehension of what social media and Internet 2.0 can do for the typical home-based or small-town enterprise. Those who “got it” about social media marketing would dive headfirst into the social media sphere and never leave.
The jury is still out on whether or not this is a successful marketing strategy because it is so novel.
Disagree strongly. Social media marketing is breaking new ground by creating a trail through uncharted territory. Evidence is essential to the public. The public values effectiveness. However, the social media marketer will pave the way for the emergence of new millionaires among businesspeople who “get” the Web 2.0 world. It’s also not overly complicated to grasp.
Social media marketing is as easy as sending an email. If you can send an email, you can learn to use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, wikis, podcasts, article marketing, and other new media forms. There is a learning curve, and you will need to put forth some effort, but what doesn’t? With the help of social media strategies, we grew our company significantly; now, every day brings dozens of potential clients interested in our training and consulting services straight to our inbox. Imagine that this happens to you; how would you feel?
Yes, you can. By entering the realm of social media, you can gain access to a growing pool of potential customers. And we’ll happily show you how to use social media to its full potential.
Taking the time to familiarize yourself with each social media platform’s terminology, customs, and procedures is easy; all it takes is a conscious decision to do so.
If you own a small or home-based business, you must be on at least one of these seven social media websites. Each comes with its own set of “help” tutorials or videos on how to use it properly, and there is a plethora of other “how to” information available online.
Website #1) Facebook
Second, Twitter; Third, StumbleUpon; Fourth, Digg; and Fifth, YouTube
And then, once you’ve figured out how everything works, do these three things:
First, JOIN UP.
Two words: Snug.
Three, assemble.
First, JOIN UP.
The most important thing is to make friends with people on these platforms. You can make friends on most of these platforms. Imitate what they’re doing. Seem simple enough? However, there is a certain kind of friend that we insist you develop. A “Plus Friend.” A friend like this ADDS to people’s lives rather than detracts from them.
Most people on the social media scene are looking to improve some aspect of their lives. YOU are responsible for assisting them by establishing rapport and introducing them to novel information about what you do and how it can improve their lives. It cannot be a sales pitch but valuable information that makes them feel they need to talk to you more.
Real estate agents, please inform your clients of the top five mistakes typically made by homebuyers. If you are a certified public accountant, explain the three most common filing errors. If you work in the skin care industry, share the top seven tips for maintaining healthy skin with them. The point is made. This kind of data is widely available on the web. Send them the article’s or blog post’s URL along with a quick note saying they were on your mind when you read it.
We call it “Connection Marketing,” When implemented correctly, it can be pretty effective.
Establish a rapport, learn about the person’s objectives, and put them in touch with resources that can help them succeed. When most people share your passions, they’re more likely to lend a hand when you need it.
Two words: Snug.
To succeed on social media, you need to put people at ease.
How?
Tell them about yourself and how you can use your skills or knowledge to assist them in realizing their aspirations. A Comfortable Chat(TM) is what we like to call it. It would be best if you had “conversations” with people online so that they feel at ease with you and want to keep in touch. You do this by addressing their concerns and demonstrating that you genuinely care about improving their situation.
In the world of social media, value is everything. When you provide people with content that helps them succeed in their endeavors (blog posts about their industry, articles on doing what they do better, etc.), they become accustomed to hearing from you. They may even be willing to assist you in your efforts. If you maintain that concentration in your social media campaigns, they will quickly approach you.
Three, assemble.
In social media marketing, you need to build a bridge that takes the person OFFLINE onto the phone.
The key to a successful social media marketing campaign is exactly that. To put it simply, it’s the TIO Factor. Get Offline and start customizing it to your liking.
You have made at least a verbal connection with the person.
They trust you more because you genuinely care about them and want to see them succeed.
You need to figure out how to get from here to the statement, “Where can I find your phone number? I’d enjoy talking to you on the phone very much.” So, go ahead and do that. It could take a couple of weeks, or it could take a few days. But would it be worth it if you gained ten new clients from this discussion?
That makes perfect sense. The question is, “How?”
Oh no, not another piece about making money with social media advertising.
Blessings…Doug
Doug Firebaugh is among the best in the business regarding multi-level teaching marketing. Over a million people read his monthly training ezine. He has spent the last decade giving talks and workshops worldwide on “Success.” He currently resides in Birmingham, Michigan, and offers a wealth of free training on achieving success on social media at:
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