Unlike most traditional forms of marketing – billboards, print ads, press releases – social media marketing is a two-way street. It’s not enough to just set up social media profiles and broadcast marketing messages to your followers. To see success in social media marketing, you need to be social: which means interacting with your online community on a consistent basis.
“The most successful marketer becomes part of the lives of their followers. They follow back. They wish happy birthday. They handle problems their customers have with products or service. They grow their businesses and brands by involving themselves in their own communities.” – Marsha Collier, speaker and business author
So make sure you are interacting with your audience, instead of just broadcasting. Here are 5 quick tips to help:
1: Post content that helps your audience.
Be consistent in posting that content (blog at least once a month or once a week, post to your Facebook Page 1-2 times a day, send out 5-10 Tweets per day, etc).
2: Respond to questions and comments in a timely manner.
Be sure to consider the platform you are using: Twitter followers generally expect a quicker response than Facebook Fans. Set up a customer service plan if you haven’t already.
3: Ask your followers how you can help them.
Post questions on topics that interest your followers, ask for their feedback/input on new products.
4: Show the “human” side of your business occasionally.
Post photos (of you, your employees, your office) on your blog and social media sites; share some posts that are more “personal” (your favorite quotes or books, milestones in your business, local/community events, etc).
5. Share content from your customers’ sites and user-generated content.
Showcase your customers’ successes, share their feedback on your products/services, or ask users to share photos that you then feature on your social accounts.
Social Media is meant to be “social” – Interact with your online audience instead of just broadcasting messages about your business.
For more ideas on what to post on social media and how to create a long term strategy, get our free guide: Social Media Strategy eBook
Quote originally posted at www.mirnabard.com 99 Favorite Social Media Quotes and Tips
[post updated 5/8/17]
About Terry League