I keep hearing from people that Social Media isn't working for them, that they're not getting enough business from it. So here are some of my top tips for making it work.
1. Listen
It's not all about you! On your personal profile on Facebook you are free to make it all about you. Rant, Rave, spill your guts and garnish as much sympathy as you want.
DON'T DO THIS ON YOUR BUSINESS PAGE!!!
Listen to what you customers want. That's what social media is all about, listening. Use it to gauge a reaction, ask opinions, tell people you follow you're sorry if they're having a bad day.
Moaning about having to stay up late to work, or telling your clients things have gone wrong, is not going to make them want to buy off you!
I do use Twitter to vent sometimes, but I never rant about my work, it's professional suicide!
2. Use a photo of you.
Nothing puts a follower off like an Egg or a Question Mark. Even a logo isn't a great option. If you are an SME, you need to identify with your followers. Your photo should be representative and appropriate. We all want the best possible photo, but you need to make sure it looks like you.
None of this looking flirtatiously into the camera from below rubbish either! Trying to look sexy whilst representing your business is not only a bit gross, but it also sends totally the wrong message. In this case, sex doesn't sell, and your prospective clients will subconsciously be turned off. Especially if when they meet you, you don't look anything like the photo!
3. Don't Snipe.
We all have fallings out with people at times, it's part of life. But criticising them and their business might make them look bad for a while, but in the end it just makes you look bitter and twisted. If you have a problem with someone, go and confront the situation. If you have made a small situation worse you may end up having to publicly apologise, and in a worse case scenario, you could be done for libel!
4. Say 'Thank You'
If someone retweets or follows you, be polite, say thank you! It's an opportunity to build relationships, and people like to be thanked!
5. To sell, Don't sell.
If you think you're going to make money the second you sign up to Twitter or Facebook, you're wrong. Just as it does in real life, in Social Media it takes time to build relationships with people. I sell an awful lot through both those platforms when I try, but I've taken the time to build relationships and customer loyalty, and even then I don't always get sales.
But, I do have a presence, and what I do best out of now is referrals. I've had so many referrals the last couple of months it's been fantastic, but that has come with 2 years of Tweeting. It takes time! I'm still shocked when people think about it!
6. Be Happy!
I kind of covered this before with number 1 a little bit, but basically be upbeat, even if you're saying a negative try and find a positive. Everyone has bad days, but try not to moan about them too much for example saying
'Rubbish day, really fed up with it all, don't know how much longer I can take this. :-('
Is a HUGE turn off compared to
'Rubbish day, but glad to be home, now, where's the wine?'
Can you feel the difference when you read them both?
7. Don't Lie.
Liars always get caught, and they can never regain the damage they've done to their reputation. Don't do it. #thatisall
8. Don't Spam!
Nothing is more irritating than your feed getting filled up with auto tweets. One every three to four hours is enough if you really have to do it, but seriously, you need to make sure they have a personal touch. Don't just use them to sell! Remember, it's about personality too!
9. Don't Auto Dm.
Just don't. Or use Twit Validate, unless you want to turn people off straight away!
10. Don't swear.
In real life I swear like a sailor (probably because I was engaged to one once!) but on twitter, you'll very very rarely see me swear, it'll usually be 'bloody' and at a push 'shit' if the 'f' word is ever implied it's 'effing', never the word itself.
Seeing those words written down make them seem a lot more harsh because they leave a longer imprint, visually. It cheapens your brand, and is against all the rules!
So there you go, some of my top tips! I hope they help you feel a bit more in control of your Social Media, thanks for reading!
xxx
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