I have read many articles lately with headlines like “Social Media will Save your Business” or “Social Media is the Best New Business Strategy”. This may seem foreign to some – as if you need to launch a whole new line of business or an entirely new effort. Good news: for many people – it’s just doing what you do on a personal basis and applying it to business. You’re using social media tools, but is your content really social-worthy? Is it applicable to a large group of people? Is it content that positions you as a thought leader or provider of tools that will help others in their line of business? It can’t be a sales strategy – it needs to be a relationship strategy. Remember, the reader is always thinking to themselves “what’s in this for me”… and the takeaway can serve a variety of purposes: educational, professional development or pure entertainment. It just has to provide an “ah-ha” moment so that they, in turn, add it to their social dialogue.
| What you’re doing: | How it becomes social: |
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1. Blogging |
You blog about something original and interesting by expressing an opinion or providing useful tools or resources. If it’s noteworthy, people will talk about it – either on their own blog, via a twitter post, or they’ll use social bookmarking to promote it. |
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2. Tweeting |
You tweet about an interesting blog post, tools or resources you’ve found, a news story or an opinion. The tweeters that I like best are the people who have found the perfect balance between value-added business-type posts and social comments. They’re sharing intelligence, thus making my job easier, but they’re also fun people. |
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3. facebooking |
You facebook. Mostly to network and re-connect with people old and new, but the community also provides a great platform for group interaction and cause marketing. |
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4. LinkedIn |
You have a professional network, now take this digital by connecting to your trusted contacts and you will then gain extended access to their contacts. The power of relationships at work. |
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5. Multimedia Sharing |
You post photos and videos to YouTube, but you also watch videos on YouTube. Add a rating or comment, if warranted. These comments in turn link back and promote your YouTube channel. |
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6. Commenting |
You like to read industry blogs, but reading isn’t enough – you need to join the conversation. This accomplishes two social media goals: it positions you as a member of the online community and it also helps build digital relationships with others in your field. This will, in turn, encourage them to read and post on your blog. Be real – show interest in others digitally and they will show interest in you. Relationship building at its core. |
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7. Bookmarking and Rating |
You are doing all of the above, which will lead to social bookmarks to your digital content. For example, if people find your blogs and videos interesting, useful and cool – they will bookmark them. Do the same yourself. You scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours. |
It’s the interaction and dissemination that makes content social. There’s no recipe, you just need to join the conversation. It’s fun. The key – keep it real. Oh, and don’t be boring, be social.
Socially speaking,
Robin
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
That is like a boot camp for social media. I think it goes to show that social media can be leisurely and casual, for those who simply want to connect with friends online, or the opposite, for those who want to use it as a tool for growing influence or their business.