I’ve taken so long to get all these Twitter posts out and I apologize but let’s look at how to use social media in your marketing strategy. There are so many companies, and when I say companies, I mean both the large companies as well as the soloprenuer out there that are beginning to think social media marketing is about getting rich quick, or it’s the quick fix to small marketing budgets that will pull them through the recession with little or no effort.
To tell the truth, social media is about interaction, not hustling clients! When you interact, you create relationships; when you create these relationships, you create opportunities to share your products and services. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, consistency, and a genuine interest in the creation and nurturing of those relationships. If you aren’t willing to do that, then hire a consultant that will do it for you!
No matter what industry you are in, do it badly and you will destroy your reputation within the social media realm. You can save your reputation by minding your manners.
Social Media Marketing No-Nos
It’s not all about you and your business, so interact with others. Get to know others; don’t just try to sell and promote your products. It won’t work.
Spamming is not ok, ever. It’s true that spamming is becoming a problem in the social media networks, and we are being required to weed through it, just like we do in our email inboxes. Don’t spam followers; if they didn’t ask for it, don’t send it. It’s that simple! Permission marketing is key.
Inconsistency will lead to failure. You must be consistent when it comes to using social media. Participating once a month or once a week just won’t get the results you desire.
Want followers? You will have to be a follower. Just like you can’t open a storefront and think that customers will just show up, you cannot sign up and start off in social media thinking everyone is just going to come and follow you. You must be a follower. Social marketing isn’t about flying solo, participate.
It’s important to realize that social media marketing does work, but as with any marketing strategy, but you must find the right social media marketing vehicles that will work for you and your industry, as well as design the campaigns that will present you with the results that you desire. If you’re B2C, FaceBook is a great option. If you’re B2B, you may rather spend more time on Linked In. There are a lot of different things you can do to market and you have to find the right fit! Social media marketing is a low to no-cost marketing option, but you will need to invest your time. If you are not willing to do that, consider selecting another marketing option or have a company do your social media marketing. They can then create and implement your social media marketing strategy. If you decide to outsource, just be sure to select a company or a consultant that has an idea of what they are doing
Good luck in your endeavors and I’ll attempt to get these blog posts out more often. Thanks for reading and if you liked this post, please see below and share it with your friends!
