With so much on a social marketing professional’s plate today, having GREAT tools is more important than ever. You can’t afford to wait until you are back at your desk or in front of your computer, to respond to questions or share a photo that you just took at an event. You need a superstar smart phone. You need great tools that help you do your social marketing on the go. The model you choose is not as important as what it should be able to do for you. Smart phones are for more than reading email. Tablets are more than a digital photo album. You need to make sure you learn to use the devices you have to do the work that needs to be done.
Here is a short TIP OF THE DAY video that says it all:
If you need more help with your social marketing, here is our checklist of daily activities that will get you started:
What are you doing to nurture your fans on social media platforms?
LIKE our page. FOLLOW us on Twitter. CIRCLE us on Google+. Just like new shoes, your heart beats fast when you first see them and you’re excited to wear them the first few times and then you find yourself looking at the next season’s collection.
When it comes to building and nurturing the social communities, many brands do the same thing. The focus is on getting new fans, getting new followers! NEW NEW NEW. What about those comfortable, well-worn fans who always comment on your posts, or that person who shares your photos with their communities? It’s time we take a piece of advice from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Love the One You’re With.
Do you know who your top 5 fans are on Facebook or LinkedIn? Who are the top 5 people who engage with your brand on Twitter? Find out and make a point this week to thank them for their ideas, comments and just for being so FABULOUS! I’ve seen folks on Twitter post (using an auto-generated tool) things like “Thanks to our top engaged fans this week” but it’s usually thanking people who share a lot of their own content or just for following that particular account. As a fan, I want to hear that you value my input, you like my ideas, and gosh darn it, that you LIKE ME!
Have SUPER FAN FRIDAYs and post something with their names on it. Everyone likes to see they were mentioned in a personal way. Here’s a fun graphic from Heather Lutze at Findability University, rewarding behavior she wants to see more of.
Go one step further and actually go to the profiles and pages of your top fans and comment on things they are posting. LIKE THEM! Show them the same love they show you. Perhaps you can find out their mailing address (or ask them to send it in a private message) and send them some swag from your company. Starbucks (and many other places) offer electronic gift cards so you can easily send one via direct or private messages.
There are a few brands that do this so well. Perky Jerky is one of them. If you have never had Perky Jerky, you must seek it out. Beg your grocery store to get it in stock. It is the BEST tasting jerky on this planet and then it doesn’t hurt that it contains a bit of PERK (Guarana). I couldn’t have survived my week on Kilimanjaro last summer if it weren’t for Perky Jerky, but I digress. Like me, there are thousands of fans that share, comment and ask questions on their social sites, but “The Jerk Man” replies, likes and thanks the fans, making people feel extra special that the JERK MAN likes them. The company regularly features their fans on their website, making people feel super special (My Kili pic was featured of course).
So as you are striving to get all of those OTHER people to like you, remember, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with!”
Who else do you see doing social RIGHT? What other ideas can you share on how to reward or recognize your fans? We’d love to hear!
Replies and Comments on Social Media Accounts are Good Social Business
I drove my mother absolutely crazy as a child. Regardless of the discussion or argument, I ALWAYS had to have the last word. (My husband would tell you that I haven’t changed either.)
Me: I did not spray Cindy’s hamster with Lysol.
My Mother: Get in your room and I don’t want to hear another word from you!
Me: I’ll be in here but you are still going to hear me telling you that I didn’t spray that stinky hamster!
My Mother: Why must you always have the last word?
Me: Because you keep asking me questions!
Oh I was a terror! Thank the Lord my children didn’t repay me for that torture I dished out. However, I have learned that having the last word is very important in social media conversations. When someone posts a question or a comment on one of your pages, you should always have the last word. Watch those pages and profiles at least a few times a day and respond in a timely manner. If you are not accustomed to checking in on your accounts, you may want to turn the notifications ON. After you have the habit of checking in regularly on your pages and profiles, I suggest turning off notifications because they are redundant and who needs more email?
When someone simply comments on something you posted, follow up with an additional question or at the very least, thank them for their comment or just for being social with you. Encourage the behavior you want to see repeated and nurture the relationships by letting the person know their comment hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Have you ever left a comment on a blog or on a social media page that had asked a question and you wonder if anyone ever saw it? Worse, have you ever asked a question on a page and never heard back? Why bother going back? Obviously it is a dumping zone for their content and no real conversations take place there.
Talking back may get children in trouble, but it will help your relationships on social media accounts! Now go to your room and I expect to hear from you soon!
When the topic of social media and social marketing come up, one question that is often asked is, “What should I share?” (30 Things to Post on Social Media When You Don’t Know What to Say). Content is one of the first concerns (along with, “Where will I find the time?”). The answer to these questions lies in first realizing social marketing is much more than just throwing content on your pages and profiles. The SOCIAL part involves listening and striking up conversations with the people you are connecting with. To convert fans into customers on social media sites, it takes more than great content. When planning how much time you will need to post your content, keep in mind that more of your time should be spent having conversations that grow relationships, than putting snappy content out (although that still has to be done).
It’s like going on a date and only being concerned with what you are going to wear. While that is VERY important, especially the first date and that first moment you see each other, it is what happens after this initial connection, the conversations you have will determine whether there will be a second and third date. If all you did was talk about yourself, or if you didn’t say anything at all, chances are this first date would be your last.
When developing a social marketing strategy, it is important to identify WHO you are trying to reach. Can you paint a picture of the person? How old is he or she? What are his concerns and challenges? Where do they shop or hang out? What is her average income? The more specific you can be in describing your potential buyers, the more you will know which social sites are appealing to them. If they are not on Pinterest or LinkedIn then creating a strategy to build and nurture relationships there would be a wasted effort.
Next, it’s important to know WHAT kind of messaging you will be sharing on the social media sites. Will you share information to educate, video clips showing your services or interviews with other experts in your industry, tips or resources that help your buyer see you as a valuable resource? All of these make up a wonderful social marketing mix.
But even more important is the WHY. Why are you wanting to establish a presence on social media sites. Is it to just have another spot to tell everyone about your fabulous products and services, like your website? Is it to connect with more people and expand your brand’s awareness? Or is it to build relationships? Your content and the conversations go hand in hand to build lasting relationships.
Social media tools are just that…TOOLS. Like a phone is a tool, it is used to either give out information or to reach out and connect with people and nurture a relationship. Many businesses make the mistake of using these social media tools to just pump out content about their brand and they miss the conversation part…the connection part, and they wonder why they don’t get that second date.
Converting Fans Into Customers
Daily conversations must be part of your social marketing mix in order for it to be effective. The problem with conversations and that whole relationship thing, is that it takes time and consistency. But just how much time? How often must you post? Is 30 minutes a day good enough? Will once a week cut it? Going back to our dating analogy, how many conversations are enough to have with this person? How long should each call or interaction with them be? You just can’t answer those questions with a definitive answer. You use the tools as often as you can and for as long as it takes to answer the questions, nurture a relationship and be a valuable resource, until a marriage proposal or sales proposal is presented!
Make a point this week to spend just a bit more time listening and responding to things that your potential client is talking about. Get dressed up and then get out there, you stud muffin!
SocialKNX is a full-service social marketing company that helps people and organizations that don’t have the time or resources to connect and build those lasting relationships that lead to more sales!
You have invested time and perhaps resources managing your social media platforms and your online brand, but if you are making these three mistakes you could be sending a message that defeats all of your efforts. Social Media is more about the SOCIAL than the MEDIA and these mistakes show your audience that you are not in it to be social.
3 Mistakes and How to Fix Them:
Not replying to comments or questions on your social media platforms
Of all the mistakes a business could make, this one chaps my hide this most. It does more than show ignorance on social media, it shows a complete disregard for your audience. It’s like posting your 800-number on your website and then not hiring anyone to answer the phones. My husband, Kirk, is a gadget king and loves buying into kickstarter projects. One early adopter products he bought was the Misfit Wearable, a physical activity monitor. We were following them on Twitter and of course there were lots of tweets going out promoting the new wearable product. When Kirk got his in the mail, he immediately got it set up and attached it to his waistband to hit the gym. Somehow between our front door and the gym door the device magnet separated and it was lost along with the $80 investment. We both sent a tweet about the disappointment of the weak magnet causing it to come off and become lost so easily, but heard nothing back…not one tweet. I asked a question to an identity theft expert on his Facebook page and through Twitter, regarding the type of shredder he recommended, but never got an answer.
It is better not to have an account at all, than to have an account on a social media platform and never check on comments or questions. Like email, you need to check a few times a day to see who has retweeted your content, or left a question for you. Yes, you will have to check your direct or private messages, as well as your replies and retweets on Twitter. You will need to check your Facebook notifications to see if someone commented on one of your posts, or if they have any private messages that need your attention. On LinkedIn you will see notifications of messages and on Google Plus and YouTube you will also be notified of messages left. If that seems like too many places to check each day, you either need to hire someone to manage it all or don’t open the doors to that platform to begin with. (see: Is Anyone Home)
Not following people back on your social media platforms
Another mistake that many businesses make is trying very hard to get people to follow them, circle them, or like them, but then not reciprocating with a follow back. On a personal account, you can choose not to follow anyone and simply use your social media accounts for reading content, but for a business, it shows a one-sided relationship which is neither social or smart. We manage a few hotels and there have been times when a guest wants to voice a complaint or as a question in a private message, but if we are not following that guest back on Twitter, they cannot send a private message and will have to post it for the world to see. Our rule of thumb is to follow back, or circle back anyone who follows or connects, as long as they are not an obvious spammer or a whack-nut! The first is easier to spot than the latter at times. If they have a profile photo and their posts are not all spammy, we connect back.
Not having conversations with people
Social Media allows us a chance to have real conversations with our fans, our customers and people who could influence others to buy from us. The key is to be SOCIAL. This means listening more than you are posting. Replying to what others are saying on the social channel. Spend time on other pages and profiles reading, liking, sharing and having these small conversations. Go to your social channel and look down the string of posts. Is it all you posting content and talking, or do you have conversations going on? On Facebook or Google+, when someone makes a comment under your post, thank them for being social and ask another question or make a statement that invites the conversation to continue. On Twitter, be sure to spend time reading content from others and simply commenting back or retweeting their posts to build the relationship and show that you are indeed, social.
What are other mistakes you see businesses make on social media?
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