Social Media.
That’s the place that people go to share all about themselves so that new followers will fall madly in love with their every word.
No?
Then why do so many people seem to treat it in such a manner?
In fact, Jamie Turner of 60 Second Marketer (hint: you’re on the site now) goes so far as to suggest that too many businesses have it all wrong when it comes to social media activity.
Typically, sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others are platforms from which to secure new customers. And while this is not necessarily wrong, he suggests (and I agree) that this is backwards thinking.
Yes, you can connect with new people because of social media.
Yes, you can engage with those that might have otherwise never realize you exist.
And yes, you can deepen your relationship with customers because of social media.
But no, you should not think of social media simply as a customer acquisition tool. In fact, it’s much more, which we outline in today’s post.
Building Secure Foundations
Once you are known by an individual it is time to build your relationship. Here are some ways you can do that.
1. Social Focus
That’s done by making sure that you show up in the eyes of your viewers on a regular basis. This includes making sure that they are not just connected to Facebook but all of your social media profiles. However, to make that happen they must have a reason.
2. Stand for Something
One of those reasons might be that they know they will receive the truth from you. You’re not simply one more voice in the crowd spouting off the same old line.
That gets dry, dull and boring.
Instead you bring something new to the conversation. Something innovative. Something original.
3. Know Thy Customer
Doing so will show that you really do understand the heartbeat of your customer. If you want to skyrocket customer loyalty, then they must believe that you care about them. They must see you as an advocate, a friend and a peer that is truly engaged in their interests as your primary focus.
4. Get Personal
There are a variety of ways in which this can happen. We will delve further into the textual content of it as we move forward but here I’d like to suggest ways to get personal that are outside of text only boundaries.
People love pictures with words on them (i.e. memes). If that image really resonates with your audience then they will be glad to share it with their network.
This does two things. First, it increases their appreciation of you and what you are doing on the web. That increased value will lead to more engagement which can and often does directly impact results related to ROI.
Instead of a meme, why not do a video presentation? There are so many advantages to creating videos with one of which is the fact people love to watch videos if they are well done.
NOTE: If taking the video route, which I highly recommend, my own personal recommendation would be to build your platform on YouTube.
Infographics are also an excellent way of engaging your current audience. This is where you basically tell a story in a single image. If you target the heartbeat of your audience, you’ll generate buzz which results in more people finding out about your brand on the Web.
Content is Still King
All the above strategies require content no matter what form it may be found within. However, this type of content creation often starts with a textual foundation. To that end, let’s dig deep so that we can understand the textual component of your social media presentation.
5. Use Catchy Headlines
Remember, you’re building value with those who already know, love and trust you — at least at some level. To this end, making all your content newbie friendly can work against you.
Instead, talk to your established audience. Let them know that you are primarily concerned about their needs and concerns. As new people find you, they’ll quickly come up-to-speed as they realize you’re dealing with deep core issues and not just another surface dweller.
The place to communicate this starts in the headline.
Does the title let them know that you are not going to be wasting their time?
Do they clearly see that you are going to be dealing with details important to them?
Are they motivated to read the rest of your content based on the few words sitting in the title of your piece?
If not, then building frequent fliers from your social media efforts might become more than a little challenging. They need to know that they’ll get real value from the time spent with your post.
6. Create Amazing Content
Once your headline has convinced them to dive in, be sure to deliver amazing content. If you don’t, you’ll lose followers and fans.
Continue offering solid value that really does make a difference in their world.
Continue giving them a reason for spending time on your page compared to the numerous other pages available on the Web.
Continue building a healthy valuable relationship with your audience.
By doing so, they’ll continue paying you more and more attention as they come to realize the value you bring to the table compared to other halfhearted marketers who seem more interested in their wallet than in wisely investing the time of their readers.
7. Be Visually Appealing
Wait!
Didn’t we already cover this point?
We spoke about memes, infographics and even videos. What’s left?
It is true that these items are a critical piece of the visual presentation, but what about ingredients such as bullets and numbers or short paragraphs to make scanning the content quick and easy.
What about the actual presentation of your content being user-focused?
I’ve seen huge paragraphs of stuff on the web. These writings do not encourage readership. Your readers are busy people. They need to be able to come, glean and move on.
Wait!
You don’t want your audience to move on, do you?
Where might they move on to? What about other pages within your site? If one page was an easy quick read they can see that you do the same throughout the site and appreciate you more.
Even if they move to another site, they’ll remember the good content the next time they come across a link to your articles.
Enjoy Yourself
Have you ever seen someone working that absolutely loves what they do?
Is there a difference between them and other drones who are simply filling up the time and space continuum?
Of course, there is.
Are you targeting your audience simply for the money?
I hope not, but if so you can’t let it show.
Instead they need to see that you are really engaged in the niche. That’s where playing can start ramping up.
8. Contests, Give-Aways & Polls
People love to play.
People love to win.
Why not make your audience winners?
There are many ways to do this especially with the power of social media. Make it worth the time of your audience and your audience will increase the amount they invest in your properties.
9. Respond Promptly
Ever ask a question on social media only to never hear a reply? I did this once with a very prominent Online Marketer. It left a bad taste in my mouth. In fact, at the time I didn’t realize how prominent he was and wrote him off as someone I didn’t want to engage further with.
Years later I found out that he was a rather strong public figure in online marketing and changed my mind thus.
If this is the standard approach to your audience, then chances are your popularity is going to take a hit. It may be a hit your able to endure, but why?
Reputation is the essence of what life is built from. That’s why when it comes to your social media audience you want to respond, engage and interact as much as possible.
10. Offer Reciprocal Surprises
One last way that you can truly show your audience that you are interested in who they are is to get involved with their profiles.
Your audience will be presently surprised.
Guess what that will do if your followers see this taking place on a regular basis?
If your answer doesn’t sound something like increasing significant value in the eyes of your audience, then you’re not paying attention.
Concluding Thoughts About Social Media
Yes, it is important to reach out to new people to continue building your network.
However, what’s more important is that you want to deepen the relationship with your current followers. Once they realize that you’re willing to truly roll up your sleeves and get involved in the niche with them, they’ll build their corresponding respect for you.
The 10 points listed above are just a few ways to engage your current followers thus turn them into friends. What else would you add to these details in-order to further increase your value in the eyes of your audience?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below and let’s grow our understanding of social media marketing together.
About the Author:
Guy Siverson is a Guest Blogger who has spent over 20 years helping people succeed on the Web. His latest work empowers Affiliate Marketer’s to prosper financially. One of his latest articles tells the story Of Freezer’s, Brides and Your Affiliate Marketers Dream. He is available for private consultations as well as live or virtual speaking engagements by calling 702-439-4766 during normal business hours.