Once a business owner understands the basics of social media, the next challenge is implementation. The challenge here is to make, and then learn to manage, the commitment of a constant commitment.
First, you need to understand three basic points to successfully implement social media:
1. Social networks do not work in a vacuum by themselves.
2. Social media was not initially intended for commercial use and contains inherent etiquette protocols that must be followed.
3. If you’re a business person who’s serious about using social media for business, you need to prepare first.
OK, to elaborate on these points:
1. “Social networks do not work in a vacuum…”
This means you can’t just create your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, drop them, and hope it helps your business. Social networking involves “socializing” with people.
Social media accounts help you communicate and start conversations with your leads and customers. Once you start talking to people, walking away is rude. This applies to social media just as it does in the physical world. So you can’t just set the (social media) accounts. You must participate in them, WITH your followers and friends. Consequently.
YOUR CHALLENGE
This can certainly be a challenge for busy business people. How are we supposed to play with those everyday things while trying to run our businesses?
It’s a challenge that business owners typically anticipate and decide to avoid by not engaging in social media at all, or they don’t anticipate and feel overwhelmed because they don’t know how to handle it once they start.
The point is to realize that social media is the new marketing ingredient that cannot be ignored. It can make your marketing efforts much cheaper and more effective once you understand and adopt it.
YOUR SOLUTION
The solution is PREPARE, PLAN Y CALENDAR your business time with social networks. That preparation includes creating profiles and content in advance and selecting options that “automate” the process for you. An obvious, highly effective and increasingly popular option among “in-the-know” business owners is outsourcing. Dedicate staff or hire social media consultants to do the work for you or a social media coach to work with you.
In any case, at this point, if you have a business, your business must be involved in social media or your business will be left behind.
POINT NUMBER 2: “Social media was NOT initially intended for commercial use…”
Granted, since social media was all about “socializing” online and building like-minded communities where people could meet, share, and have a good time online, no one wanted to see commercials or someone trying to sell to them. something in those spaces. They still don’t. But information and creativity are highly sought after.
All of these people in all of these online social “communities” are still human, they still live in the physical world, and they’re all still consumers. So while it’s rude to drive sales on social media, it’s understood that people do want and consequently buy things. The trick is to “inform”, serve and provide. EAST it’s how you engage in business using social media. You have to BE there with your prospects and customers.
ANALOGY
Imagine, if you’re at a party and someone at the party mentions that they’re looking for a plumber…and it turns out that BE a plumber, then it’s okay to promote your service. It is not like this?
IT’S OKAY. Let’s look at another analogy. You’re at the bookstore… and the woman next to you asks if you know a good cookbook because she can’t decide between all the titles in front of her. By talking to her more, you find out more precisely what she needs and you are very knowledgeable on the subject. Consider that, in this case, everyone in the bookstore probably has an interest in books. Everyone who is in the kitchen section with you and your new acquaintance is interested in cooking. You’re there too, and you happen to be the author of a series of cookbooks. NOW, can you see when IT IS OK, expected and DEAR– for you to raise your hand and say: “Hey, I’m here and I have what you need!”… right?
SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE
This accepted behavior is opposed to simply joining a social space and starting listing their sales “specials.” Proper social media etiquette is simply to share, befriend, and serve. This is “engagement”, and yes, you can do it through your business.
With social media, you have to be there, or at least show up regularly. Join the conversation and contribute expertise, information or resources. This is how you and your business earn. It’s relationship management and it gets stronger gradually, over time.
CONTENT IS SOCIAL GOLD
One such resource is the practice of providing “content” for your audience. This dramatically speeds up the process and increases your credibility and advantage over peers and industry competitors. Providing content allows you to increase your visibility, attractiveness and WORTH which ultimately results in increased business. This way, you won’t have a problem having one-on-one conversations with everyone on each of your social networks, but you’ll be engaging with them by giving them something they need and/or want. If done correctly, sharing your content increases the confidence of your friends and followers that you are the person, or your company is the business, that they should be doing business with.
IT’S OKAY. ARTICLE 3:
“The serious business person must first prepare to use social media for business…”
As with anything else, preparation is a ‘good thing’ that improves your efficiency and chances of success. Preparing for social media for your business includes the following:
1. You should already have a marketing plan. Now you need to at least outline where your new social media engagement falls into that mix. If you haven’t, please do so first.
NOTE:
If you’ve never done this before or need a “quick start” strategy, simply list all the marketing, POS, and media methods you’ll implement, then schedule when you’ll implement each and their respective costs.
two. Write a “key person” bio and business profile. Edit each of these pieces so that you end up with at least three versions, including 200-word, 500-character, and 200-character versions.
3. Write your business slogan.
Four. Do some keyword research and then list your keywords so you have them:CLEVER– to place in the keyword and/or “tag” sections of your accounts.
5. Write a short “keyword rich” description of your business. Include what you sell, who you provide it to, and the profit. Again, create multiple versions so that if you run into word count limits, you already have it. PREPARED.
6. You will want a business photo of the owner/president or representative of your choice. Understand that social media is about people. If you don’t do this, you will greatly diminish the opportunity to present your business as “transparent” and build long-term trust. Therefore, your business needs at least one face. Have it ready for your social media accounts.
7. Company logo.
8. Produce an initial introductory press release that can be provided at any time if needed. Don’t try this if you don’t know what you’re doing. Pay a freelance publisher or journalist to write it for you. Format it for email and PDF so you can use it as needed, when needed. This business “content” is an extra option that puts you ahead of the crowd. From time to time, please review this release, edit it and update it as necessary to keep it current.
9. Prepare a selection of photos and images that you can use when needed. These may include client logos if your business provides services or sells to other businesses, or photos of your retail space, office building, and products. You get the idea. If you’re a photographer or designer, produce a digital portfolio for immediate presentation on demand.
10 Because you actually ARE in business to sell something, prepare your sales materials specifically for “social response” online. Produce your list of products or services. Include features, benefits and prices. Create your contract or invoice forms. Last but not least, produce the sales “pitch.” Again, if you don’t have the skills to write (sales) copy, hire a professional copywriter. At least understand that this material is best written by marketing and sales professionals, NOT journalists. It is a completely different discipline. Even better, hire an SEO copywriter. If you must do it yourself, before you begin, use Google to search for copywriting, sales copywriting, and SEO copywriting.
eleven When you engage with your prospects and customers on your social networks, your ultimate goal in getting the sale is to send them to their business destination. As long as they are online and you hold their interest, you should be able to send them to their web destination. Therefore, you must have your website up and running. PRIOR TO You’re going full throttle with your social media marketing. Not only does this improve your credibility, but it also allows you to transact business online which, as a business person, is the main purpose of your participation in social networks.
NOTE:
This online business “transaction” is not necessarily a purchase, it could be that your prospect prints a coupon to go to your actual location.
12 Content is the main driving force that wins you friends, followers, and customers. Make the production of content for your social networks a regular and constant part of your business. Basically, the online content is:
• publications
• items
• Photos
• audio recordings (podcasts and webinars)
• video
NOTE:
Those are the essentials. Additional content you may produce and use includes, but is not limited to:
• surveys
• Press releases
• tutorials
• advertisements
• testimonials/reviews
BOTTOM LINE
When using social media to drive people to your website, what you can do from there is only limited by your imagination or lack of information (aka knowledge). The conclusion of all this is PREPARED Y HOLD LEARNING and master your social networking skills for business.