The low turnout at last night’s Plan B Expo as a result of the weather gave me a chance to reconnect with an old friend, social media mastermind Phillip Black. Phil and I worked together on a couple web projects from 1999-2001, and after being out of touch for about a decade it was interesting to learn that we were both doing similar things and had met a lot of the same people along the way. His company, Social Media Engine, offers the first Facebook marketing strategy I’ve seen that actually makes sense, and I encourage everyone to check it out.
The subject of social media marketing comes up among my clients about twice as often as it did a year ago, and it’s forced me to spend more time looking into what I once dismissed as a fad. To be frank, most companies are horrible at this form of marketing and don’t even realize it. Treating their social media pages as nothing but another mechanism of catapulting advertisements, the typical business has become a “social spammer”. There is a trade-off between what content should be on your website and what content should be on your social media pages. While social media pages typically rank well in Google on searches for your business name, if you put too much content on your Facebook page you can de-incentivize the user from clicking through to your site. People don’t visit social media sites to shop, they visit them to socialize – and if you’re the guy who never posts anything but an advertisement, you’ll be scratching your head wondering why you aren’t getting any sales.
I’ve come up with 8 tips that you can use to keep your social media presence strong, without annoying your fans.
1. Keep your CONTENT on your WEBSITE.
Don’t post lengthy descriptions or articles on social pages – instead, put this content on your website and post short, one-sentence “teasers” on your social pages, along with a small picture and a link to your site. It makes your content easier to manage and keeps the traffic flowing to your site, where people are more likely to spend money. As an added bonus, as people share your link those who they share it with must also click through to your site.
2. Distribute coupons & promotions EXCLUSIVELY through Social Media.
If you’re sending out a monthly e-mail newsletter, it’s just one of many your customers receive. And chances are they aren’t reading it. Instead of giving up the coupon code, your newsletter should direct customers to your social pages with instructions to friend you/follow you/like you to get the code. A higher number of followers gives your business more credibility in the social media world, and puts more eyes on your offer.
3. Be a PERSON, not a COMPANY.
You’re likely to have better social media success by introducing yourself as a person instead of a company. When applicable, use “I” instead of “we”, and don’t make everything you post an advertisement or special. Throw out a few conversation starters relevant to your industry and position yourself as an expert in your field. Be available to answer questions, without pushing the sale.
4. Deal with negativity elsewhere.
One down side to social media is that you’re giving unhappy customers an outlet to express their dissatisfaction. If you’re getting negative feedback about a product you sell, use this to your advantage – products that get bad reviews are products you should consider improving or eliminating from your inventory. If the negative comments are about your company or an error made by your staff, delete them and deal with it in private. No good will come of a private conversation between your company and a disgruntled customer being on display in public. Even if the issue is resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, the “random in and out” nature of social media means some people will see the negative comment but never see the resolution.
5. Create a Google alert for your company name and domain.
This applies not just to social media, but it’s important to consider here as well. This neat little Google feature will shoot you an e-mail whenever your company name or domain are found in a web page, and it’s a great way of keeping track of who’s talking about you. Often times these conversations take place on social media pages – when something comes up, reach out to the person who made the comment and ask sincerely if there is anything you can do to help. You would be surprised how something so simple can turn an unhappy customer into a happy one – and the next alert you get will be about positive comments made by that same person, thanking you for your help.
6. Follow your competitors – then set the trend.
Before promoting your own social pages, look at what your competitors are doing with their social media pages and use it as an indicator for what type of results you can expect. Pay attention to things they’re doing that you could do differently/better, and things you don’t want to deviate from. It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes than your own.
7. “Soft Launch” by inviting friends and existing customers first.
When you’re first getting started, there is that awkward period where you have no friends, no fans, and look totally lame. Sorry, but it’s true. Invite those who you’ve already done business with and get some fans & followers before you put a “Follow us” link on your website. The more people like/follow you, the more likely other people are to follow suit. Give them a coupon, free advice, or other exclusive content as an incentive to follow you.
8. Mystery Promotions
A great way to get your social followers to click through to your website is by using a mystery promotion – where the savings could be anywhere from 10% to 90% off, but but they have to click the link to see how much. Once they’re off the social media page and looking at your website, that’s your chance to make your best pitch and close them.
Part of the allure of social media is the illusion of low-cost marketing, but don’t forget what your time is worth. Like all other marketing ventures, put a plan together before you move forward. When you’re planning your strategy, I recommend starting with #6 on this list. And make sure you check out Phil’s company, Social Media Engine for a really in-depth look at how to maximize your social media results.
Existing customers are important, step7 is good, “Soft Launch” by inviting friends and existing customers first.
I love the mystery promotions idea.
Second that on Mystery Promotions
Great tips, nice to see people who still “get it”.
Keep on writing and chugging away!