Social media is where the people are… Is your business
there? It should be and here are a few reasons why.
66% of all adult Americans are on line, in one or more
social media platforms. Of them Facebook has 845 million active users, Twitter
has 127 million active users, Linkedin has 150 million registered users, Google
+ has 90 million unique visitors and Pinterest, our newest social media player,
has 21 million unique visitors.
So you ask, how do I harness this information for my
business? How do I generate business leads that turn into sales? The key to
social media marketing is no different per say than any other form of marketing
and advertising. The most important component is devising a clear strategic
plan and setting short and long term goals. The difference’s that are seen in
marketing and advertising today is that content is king… be it a blog article,
a Facebook post, or a Twitter tweet, so how do you generate leads via social
media????
1.
Consistency:
It is important that if you start a
social media Campaign that you stick with it. Social Media is no different
than any other networking group, event, or organization. Perspective client’s want
to know that you are going to show up and follow through.
2.
Segment
your message by audience demographics. Most of today’s social sites have a
tool that enables you to target your message to specific demographic groups by
age, sex, geographical location, schools, colleges and income
3.
Keyword
Placement: Just as it is important to utilize keyword placement on your
website it is also advantageous to utilize your keyword phrases in social
media. Think what word or combination of words would describe your business if
they couldn’t remember the name and use the in your social media copy.
4.
Strategic
Partnerships: Most businesses share a client with another company or
several other companies. Creating a social media partnership with these
businesses, where you share each other’s content, will help to establish you as
an expert within your industry.
5.
Content: Create
a message that people can relate too. Speak like a real person. Share a story
or use humor both of which helps to create authenticity as well as
relationships. People want to feel that they know the people they are doing
business with.
6.
Feedback:
Always reply to the comments that are posted on your social sites, people
appreciate it. They want to know that their comments have been seen and valued.
7. iCon’s: Social Media icon’s make it easier for others
find you and to share your information. Place them on all of your various
social media sites, website, and printed material.
8. Contribute:
Many Non-profit companies are now using social media to educate the public
about their charitable organizations. Sharing their information establishes you
and your company as a team player and solidifies your community standing
9. Share Your Knowledge: Share tips on how to do it yourself.
Others will appreciate it and it will help to establish your expertise in your
industry.
10. Contest: Contests are a great way to
get people involved in your business, just make sure you understand the
policies on the different social sites regarding contests.
11. Call to Action, A good “call to action”
statement will help you close those sales. The most important thing to remember
though is like you, no one like the hard sale, so use something that’s fun and
creative.
Now that we have discussed a few of the many ways you can
generate business using social media it is important to note that like all
marketing and advertising platforms it takes time, consistency, and a strategic
plan to be successful.
