Quick Tips for Social Media SUCCESS
Here are nine of my social media tips to help you incorporate a well-rounded social media marketing plan.
Targeting. Figure out who your buyer is. Do you know if your target audience is male or female, their income bracket, how many kids they have, their industry? Find out before you dive into social media sites. If your target is women, you may want to stick withPinterest. If your target is teens, maybe go with Tumblr or Instagram.Learn more about Buyer Personas here. - Choosing. Don’t try to be everywhere. There are nearly 300 worldwide active social media sites and it’s impossible to have an effective presence if you stretch yourself too thin. Figure out where your buyer (see #1) is and be the BEST on those very few sites.Here is my list of 10 Best Social Media Sites for Small Business Owners
- Optimization. Once you have chosen a few sites to focus on, get your profiles totally optimized. And, by “optimized” I mean hone in on your business description using a succinct message – that will also include important keywords – and completely fill in the information required on that particular site. Be sure to use your logo, colors, fonts (branding) in all your profiles so that across the board you have a clear image.Read 8 Businesses That Nail Social Media Brand Consistency
Planning. You must have a plan. Decide what your message is going to be, how it’s going to fit into your overal marketing goals, what kind of action items and incentives you’re going promote. Look at the calendar and get it all mapped out in advance and try to be three steps ahead at all times.Download a Social Media Publishing Schedule Template - Content. Content creation is probably going to be your biggest challenge. But, it’s a must. You should enlist your team or outsource, when possible. Base your posts off your top keywords and don’t forget to write content that is going to be appealing to your targeted buyer (see #1).Check out 15 Insider Tips for Creating a Content Creation Machine [SlideShare]
- Integration. Use your website, business cards, invoices, product tags, email signature and everywhere else you would add your URL to publicize your social media addresses. *Do not make the mistake of having broken links from your website.Put your Gmail to work with this social media plugin
Restraint. So, once you have your social media sites up and running you’re going to want to SELL, SELL, SELL. Right? WRONG! Show restraint when posting on your sites. The purpose of “social” media is to be social with your customers and potential customers. Talking about yourself all the time is only going to turn them off. For every one post about yourself, balance it with twenty posts about others.Read Don’t Use Social to Generate Sales; Make Selling Social- Approachability. How approachable are you in your online marketing efforts? Do you have the feature that allows for external wall posts turned off on Facebook? Do you reply to mentions and DM’s on Twitter? If you’re going to be afraid of interaction, you shouldn’t be there in the first place.Read 8 Steps to Manage a Social Media Crisis
- Boring-ness. You’re never going to succeed in social media if you’re boring. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but it’s true. Find something COMPELLING about your products and services, create a twist out of it, think out-of-the-box and be engaging. If you are posting things like, “My pipefitters are on sale today, buy one!” how much response do you think that is going to get? How about “How does your pipe fit? We want to know (pssst… best pipefitting story saves 10% today only!)”Read 10 Ideas to Make Boring B2B Social Media Posts Captivating
A well-rounded approach to the health of your business is an absolute necessity for success using social media.
What tips do you have for succeeding in social media? Share them on my Facebook Page!
