Do you remember back in the good old days? You know the time that when you build a website, it was akin to Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams?
Don’t you just long for the days when all you needed was a Facebook Fan Page or perhaps a MySpace account and people just came to you? Well, like the pony express, those days are over. You are going to have to do more to connect with targeted customers.
Because the mentality displayed in the clip above is the same that many small companies take with their social media in general and their blogs/websites in particular is “if we build it, they will come”. That is simply just not the case any longer. Coming to the party is one thing. But you better be “bringing it” if you want to be noticed and ultimately be successful.
So what is the best tactic for social media engagement?
Content. Original content to be more precise. And not just every now and then. Regularly consistently and with authority. If you want to be seen as an authority, you are going to have to do more than re-post other people’s info. When you become the media, everyone has a different perspective on who they are dealing with.
Here are six guidelines for turning your social media network into your own content media channel.
- Understand who your audience is! I have said it before and I will say it again. You need to know what your audience is currently doing and then deliver content to them on a level they can understand. Find out their habits and mimic their behavior in providing them the content that they are currently reading, watching, andlistening to. Is there What topics bind them together as a community? If you don’t know, do research to gain insight on your audience’s needs and behaviors.
- Freely provide content that is educational! Learn how to provide timely tips and advice to your readers that is free from sales pitches and you will be viewed both as an authority as well as a trusted source. That doesn’t mean you always have to give everything away, but the more content you provide freely, the more likely people will come to you for help in the same manner.
- Content needs to be original and up to date! Don’t give in to the thought that you don’t have anything to add to your niche. Provide your spin to what’s already out there, but do it from scratch. People neither want to read other people’s articles and idea, but if you can’t provide value, why should they look at you as the authority? And when I say up to date, you can’t be talking about something that was discussed in depth 6 months ago. Content that is fresh is going to get people thinking and there will be a better opportunity that it will get picked up and maybe even go viral. So…keep it original, up to date and put your voice into it. The more you do that, the more your readers will respond to you (and also your offers)
- Be willing to delegate and to outsource! You know your niche and you should by now understand what it is that your prospects/readers are interested in. Then decide how it is going to be done. Is it going to be articles or perhaps like Gary Vaynerchuk, your DNA is better served by doing video. Get a plan and delegate how this gets done. And if at the end of the day, if creating content isn’t where you either want to spend your time, outsource it to a content generator (like the Social Media Dudes…yes…a shameless plug, but I am providing you with some good stuff don’t you think?) Get everyone on the same page in terms of content, key words, etc and create your opportunity. Someone doing this task for you can free you up to do the things you like to do and enjoy.
- Don’t forget the metrics! We have written and posted several articles lately that tell you that you need to objectively measure your social media ROI (Return On Influence!) Create a simple benchmark of how many followers, fans, leads that you have at the beginning and end of a period. Keep measuring regulaly to see if your campaign is having the effects you are desiring!
- It’s social media. Get everyone engaged! One of the metrics that I talk about are comments. Not just the number, but also the quality of the comment. The best blogs and fan pages have generous helpings of both. How do you get more comments? By letting people know that they should be commenting and that you welcome their point of view…even if it is different than your own. Start discussions on your fan pages and encourage everyone to participate.
The more you do the above, the more likely you will gain new readers, be perceived as an authority in your niche and the more likely you will lock in your customers to your products and or services!
Believe it or not, not doing social media right can actually harm your business.
If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudes
Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico
Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage. What I want to hear are YOUR comments. What are the things that you are currently measuring and how often??
If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudesand subscribe to your newsletter in the upper left hand corner! Still not convinced that social media is right for your business? Read this and get our F.R.E.E. report on the 7 Myths of Social Media! Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage. What I want to hear are YOUR comments. Please leave one now.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
