Derek Gehl 
If you want to have a successful online business, you can no
longer afford to ignore social media.
Whether you're talking about sites like Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube, or the millions of blogs, forums, and groups
that exist online, social media continues to dominate
the Internet landscape.
If you want to be a part of the conversation then you need
to know how to use these sites effectively to engage with
your audience and build authentic relationships with them.
Here you'll learn top 6 tips on how to do just that...
But first, let's talk about why a social media presence is
so important to your business.
What You Need to Know about Social Media
According to Nielsen Research, social networking has become
the fourth most popular online activity - surpassing even
email!
In fact, an incredible two-thirds of all Internet users
regularly visit social media sites.
Check out these stats:
Because of their growing popularity, social media sites have
become an especially attractive marketing tool for both online
and offline businesses.
By engaging with customers through a blog or Facebook, Twitter,
or YouTube, businesses can spread the word about their business
to their target audience, manage their online reputation -- and
cultivate a deeper relationship with their established customer
base.
And the most amazing thing? Most social media users welcome
a closer relationship with the businesses they enjoy.
According to Cone Research and Insights, 85% of social media
users want their favorite businesses to actively engage
with them through social media.
But here's where it gets tricky.
There is a right way to engage with people on social media
sites -- and there is a wrong way.
The right way will help you cultivate a meaningful relationship
with your audience, and convert interested visitors into lifelong
loyal buyers. The wrong way will inevitably drive people away...
and could even provoke them to badmouth your business to others.
Yikes!
To help you avoid that fate, here are our top six "rules of
engagement" on how to use social media the right way...
Rule 1: Do Your Research:
Before you dive into the world of social media, do some
research to discover which sites are most popular with your
audience. Are they spending time on Facebook or on Twitter?
Are there any popular forums or blogs they tend to visit
and comment on?
All the major social media websites have search tools that
allow you to search on your keywords to find users and
groups talking about the things you're interested in.
To find forums and discussion boards, enter your keywords
into Google with "discussion" or "forum" tacked at the end.
Google will point you to groups where your market might be
hanging out.
Then plug your keywords into Google BlogSearch to find
blogs with content relevant to your business. Once you
discover some good ones, remember to check their blogrolls -
- the list of other blogs they link to in their sidebar, or
on a separate page on their site -- for more great spots to
check out.
Make a list of the places where you find the greatest
representation of your target market -- and then you're
ready to get started.
We recommend you spend some time checking out the
discussions already in progress, joining relevant groups,
following and "friending" interesting folks you meet, and
building up your identity as a trusted participant by
providing solid ideas and information (without a pitch!)
And don't worry about joining every single group you
discover -- start with three or four to help you get your
feet wet, and then expand your presence from there.
If you try to become involved in too many communities at
once you might find yourself overwhelmed before you even
discover the potential of social media for your business!
Rule 2: Create an interesting, memorable profile:
Now let's talk about how to set up an engaging presence
that builds trust in your potential customers right away.
In your profile on each social media site, be sure to include:
...along with some non-salesy information about your interests
and passions to confirm to potential new connections that you're
a real person worth getting to know!
In fact, we recommend you use the same information and
photo or logo for all your profiles -- that way, people who
meet you at one site will be able to easily connect with
you at another!
As you start to engage with people on a social media site,
make it your goal to maintain a warm, helpful, professional
stance. By offering friendly advice and tips, and pointing
them to places they can find more useful or interesting
information, you will gather a loyal community of people
who value your input and trust your recommendations.
Rule 3: Listen before you talk:
When you sign up for a social media site, blog, or forum,
take some time to listen first.
If you jump into the conversation with a sales pitch, and
start blasting people with messages about how great your
product is, they're going to react in exactly the same way
that people would if you started handing out business cards
and trying to score new customers at a friend's casual
dinner party.
Spend some time reading posts, messages and tweets -- and
while you do, ask yourself the following questions:
By listening first, you'll get a feel for the tone of the
conversations already in progress, which will help you
strike the right note when it comes time to join in.
You'll also send the message that you value the information
and opinions people are sharing with one another... and
that you're not just there to do a “drive by” sales pitch. .
Now, if you find people speaking directly about YOUR
product or service, it will undoubtedly be tempting to jump
in right away and respond to them. If their comments are
positive, feel free to offer a quick “thank you!” or note
of appreciation.
If their comments are negative, however, respond politely
and briefly to let your customer know you want to provide
them with a positive experience -- and then take the time
to write an email or send a private note offering
assistance or support.
Disputing their account publicly or engaging in a war of
words will only make you and your business look bad --
which is exactly the opposite of what you're trying to do.
Rule 4: Engage with your market -- don't just try to sell
to them:
To understand the true value of social marketing, you need
to understand why people spend time hanging out at social
websites.
Generally, they're seeking diversion and entertainment, or
pursuing information about their passions and interests.
Popular activities include...
... In other words, they're looking for FUN -- and not for
something to buy.
And they can smell a "pitch" a mile away.
If you're planning to waltz into an online community and
start talking about your product and how great it is, you'
ll likely end up getting nothing but the cold shoulder in
response!
Instead, spend time observing how people interact with each
other, and tuning into their conversations -- and then
follow their lead. Make it your mission to provide lots of
useful free advice and interesting information, and you'll
generate a much warmer welcome from your new online friends.
Rule 5: Give them information they WANT:
Once you've done some listening, you can start sharing
information with your market through social media -- as
long as you focus on providing value above all else.
Here's what we mean...
Give expert advice: Establish your expertise by answering
common questions about your industry, and offering valuable
information in related discussions and groups. That doesn't
mean, however, that you should answer every question by
pointing to your product, even if it seems like the most
obvious solution!
You want to earn trust first... and let that lead naturally to sales.
Share thoughts about your industry: Share your own ideas
about what's happening in your industry through blog posts,
microblogs and group posts. Start discussions that matter
to you, and invite other people to share their ideas
alongside yours.
Be transparent about your company information and mission:
Share who you are, how you got started in your industry,
and your passion for what you do and why you do it.
Spread public relations-style information: Put the word out
about new product releases, new product features, press
mentions or awards you've received.
Provide great customer service: Post common problem
solutions, product bulletins, problem solving, best
practices, training and tips for using your products. Don't
be scared to solve a customer's problem publicly if they
post it publicly. It's not a bad thing for customers to see
that you stand behind your products, and that you're eager
to solve problems!
Tell customer stories (with permission!): Share stories of
people who have had positive experiences with your products,
or have overcome difficulties as a result of using your
products.
Have a little fun: Post games, contests, and interesting
pictures or videos related to your products or industry.
Offer special deals: Create offers just for your social
media "friends" -- but not with a heavy pitch, please! Just
a link with a discount code will do -- let your site speak
for itself!
Encourage feedback and research your market: Questions,
polls and surveys targeted towards your community or
customers can be a great way of getting great market
research data, product feedback, and information about the
right direction for your business to head in future.
Rule 6: Participate!
If you want to build up a loyal community on social media
sites, you have to focus above all else on being someone
worth knowing.
People are drawn to those who care about what they have to
say, and who contribute in valuable ways to the
conversations that matter to them. If you respond promptly
and politely to people, and provide great information, they'
ll love you.
On the other hand, if you only participate sporadically,
and neglect to offer information people find entertaining
or helpful, you'll find yourself hard-pressed to establish
a connection.
Above all, when you communicate with your audience on
social media sites, the most important thing is not to
sound "spammy." It's perfectly fine to let people know what
you do and what you offer -- but not to hit them over the
head with a sales pitch.
Few people head to social media websites looking directly
for items to purchase -- but they do appreciate coming
across people who provide great information and great
service. And if they are looking directly for product or
service recommendations, your active presence and solid
reputation will put you at the top of everyone's list.
That's the power of social media!
If you want to learn more about how to master this powerful
source of free traffic and word-of-mouth advertising, next
week's issue of StartUp features in-depth strategies on how
to build a loyal community using social media sites such as
Facebook and Twitter.
Plus, we'll also include a one-hour interview with our own
in-house social media analyst, Lynette Johnston. So if you'
d like to discover how to use Facebook and Twitter to
generate buzz for your website -- or build up an audience
for a site you're still in the process of building -- then
check out the article below.
********************************
Is "Information Overload" Short-Circuiting Your Business?
Are you just starting out online, and unsure where to
begin? Does all the talk about unfamiliar topics like SEO,
PPC, and social media leave you feeling overwhelmed?
If you're not sure what should really matter to you right
now as an online beginner, then you need to check out our
StartUp online business guide: The Ebusiness StartUp
Handbook helps anyone overcome the biggest obstacle to
starting a profitable Internet business, with a step-by-
step formula for quickly and easily uncovering untapped
markets with minimal competition.
Click here.
Sincerely,
My Life With A Westie contains:
