Social media marketing is a very lucrative way to position yourself as an expert, get more leads, and convert more sales. But, you can really mess it up too by spamming, taking steps that are considered rude, and not paying attention to the rules of the road before you embark on the social media marketing journey.
If you want to be successful with social media marketing, consider these points.
* Position Yourself as an Expert – When you are seen as an expert, people will trust what you have to say about an issue. To position yourself as an expert, act like one by answering questions and showing what you know without trying to sell anyone on anything.
* Contribute Meaningfully – Don’t say something just to say something. There is little point is saying “I agree” or a bunch of words that don’t add value. Be creative, but seek to add value with every contribution that you make. If you can’t add value, don’t bother.
* Choose Productivity over Activity – There is a vast difference between activity and productivity. Don’t get on social media just for the heck of it. Have a plan of action that you focus on in order to get results. You can play on social media during personal time; don’t fool yourself and think playing on social media is productive work.
* Choose Quality over Quantity – Being noisy isn’t really going to get good results, in and of itself. You need to choose quality over quantity when it comes to the content you share and the contributions you make.
* Never SPAM – If you’re not sure what SPAM is then look up the definition, but keep in mind that different networks and groups see SPAM differently. Some groups don’t allow you to share your links, while some do. Pay attention to the TOS of every network and group you join, and stick to them even if others aren’t.
* Be Authentic – Only one person in the entire universe can be you. Therefore, you need to be you and do you, and not try to be something you’re not. If you’re a night owl, it’s okay; it’s not contradictory to business to be a night owl. If you don’t like suits, that’s okay too. Not everyone does, and when you’re in it for yourself and your own business you can be exactly who you are.
* Don’t Be Entitled – Just because someone lets you join their network, connect with them on LinkedIn or invites you to their group, doesn’t mean that you’ve been given carte blanche to do whatever you want. Follow the rules, and be polite. Don’t pitch your wares unless you’re asked to do so.
* Keep Up-to-Date on Trends – In any niche there are trends that come and go. If you’re smart, you’ll pay close attention to these trends so that you can update your audience, stay updated yourself, and find new ways to do things when the need arises. Not everything that works today will still work tomorrow.
* Use Multimedia and Images – It’s important to use a mixture of different types of media and not just text on your social media networks. Use amazing images and video to create a multimedia interaction with your audience that they’ll not soon forget.
* Follow Up – This is likely the most important thing of all. When you network with someone, remember to follow up with them. Try to keep notes on people that you know you want to keep up with so that when you do you can remember something important. You might send them a news clipping, a thank you note, or just a link to an article you read that you know they’d enjoy.
The important thing is that when you use social media marketing, you don’t become too promotional. The point of social media is to be social and engage. When you do that, you ignite the most powerful force in the world when it comes to marketing: word of mouth.