Most small business owners I know are dabbling with social media to help gain awareness. But, there is confusion on what to post and how to interact with followers to gain traction.
If you engage in social media to help build your business, keep these tips in mind to augment your business versus becoming part of the social “noise”:
Educate vs. sell.
Will the information in the message truly help them? Do you provide links to outside experts that can help them? Prove you are the expert and sell later. People appreciate not being “sold”. Opt for the soft sell in most situations.
Don’t make your messages too long.
Just like any other form of advertising, you are fighting against limited attention spans. You have 3 seconds to make an impression and keep the customer engaged.
If you are trying to create a two-way conversation…
With Twitter updates or Facebook postings, don’t ask too many “canned” questions. If you aren’t getting responses or feedback to your questions, then they are irrelevant to your followers.
Watch the news for stories in your industry.
Post links to these stories. Ask what your readers think about the stories.
Create an offer just for your followers;
Let them know you appreciate their interest and business.
Follow and comment on client and vendor postings.
Don’t expect them to be engaged with your social updates if you ignore theirs. Remember, it’s a two-way relationship.
NOTE: If you need any help with your social media strategy, let me know. I’d be happy to give you feedback.