I've talked repeatedly about B-E-S...Build, Engage, Sell. And of those three, building your audience is most important. And there are plenty of people out there telling you how to do that...including me, of course! Here's my input:
If you aren't growing your audience every day so that you always have fresh, interested people to talk to, you're wasting your time. It's the only way to ensure you never run out of people to talk to.
Where to Build Your Audience
Where do you want to build it? Again, everyone has their preference of social media platforms. I say go where you are comfortable, enjoy interacting, and where your target market also hangs out.
The most popular, according to marketers, are:
- Email (yes, email is considered social media)
- YouTube
- TikTok
This list is always subject to change. TikTok is surging in popularity right now, and marketers are discovering how to use it effectively. Again, determine where your target market is, then choose the one or two of those that you enjoy using and focus your efforts there.
Why Are You On Social Media?
I assume it's to build your business. But you need to be specific. Have you heard of SMART goals? Of course you have! And they apply on your social media account as much as anywhere else. And they can differ from platform to platform. For example, my goal on Twitter is to make sales and generate leads. Twitter is great for that. My goal on Facebook is to meet people, build a relationship, and use that relationship to move them to my Facebook group or email list. I don't expect to make sales on FB. I have, but it's not my primary goal.
Before you do anything else, take some time to determine your goal for each platform you where you decide to be active. And make them SMART goals: Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-Bound.
Having defined goals will make it easier to create a social media strategy. Knowing what, where, and when to post will make you more productive and effective.
Who Are You Talking To?
Identify your target market. If you are marketing to everybody, you are marketing to no one. Contrary to what you may have been told elsewhere, EVERYONE is NOT your customer.
Look at your current customers. Look at who is interacting with your social media content. Are there commonalities? Other people like them would more than likely be interested in your product, services, and content as well.
Analyze your product or service. What are the benefits? What problem does it solve? Who would be most likely to have a need for your offer?
Once you know who would most benefit from your offer, figure out who is most likely to buy it. Look at things like age, location, gender, income level, occupation, etc. You can also consider values, interests, hobbies, etc.
You can have more than one market! You will just tailor your marketing accordingly for each niche.
The Key Word in "Social Media" is "Social"
Create relationships. I'd rather have 1000 loyal, raving fans than 5000 people who never engage with my content and don't really know what I do.
It's not that hard to get to know people on social media. Reach out to them via messenger and have a real conversation. Don't just pitch your offer. Would you greet someone you just met at a party with, "Hey I know we just met, but buy my stuff!"? Why do it on social media?
Reply to comments on your posts. Comment on other people's posts. Don't just "like" them. Start a conversation. Answer questions.
Ask questions - real questions to spark a conversation. Not the engagement bait questions. Unless I'm in the wine business, I really don't care if you prefer red or white. Neither does anyone else. Sure you'll get engagement. But the people who respond are most likely not your target market.
Get personal. Share photos...of your office, your pets, your team, anything that will help people relate and connect with you. And don't be afraid to get silly! Humor is a great way to connect with others.
Provide Value
Remember the 80/20 rule. Only 20% of your posts should be promotional. People come to social media to connect with others and be entertained. No one got up today and said, "I need a new skin care product. I think I'll see what's on Facebook!" No one...I promise!
Offer tips and tricks related to your niche. Share other expert's content. Post industry trends or breaking news. Answer questions. Give away what you know freely, and it will come back to you. Or as my friend, Manny Lopez, says, "Give away the map. Charge to be the guide."
Let's Get Visual
Instagram. TikTok. YouTube. These are three of the most popular social media platforms right now. Visual content is where it's at. Photos and video content are absolutely killing it. Make sure you are adding it to your content mix.
The good news is it's not difficult to create great visual content. Most smartphones do a fine job of recording video. Or use platforms like Zoom to record your content. Do a Facebook Live. And there literally tons of photo editing and graphics apps to create images. I use Canva and Photofunia the most. But there are plenty of others. Find the one that works for you and get creative!
Announce Your Presence
Do you have a website? Make sure it contains links to your social media sites.
Do you have an email list? Include links to your social media in your email signature.
Cross promote. Just because I'm on Twitter doesn't mean I can't let my Twitter peeps know I'm also on Facebook.
Put your social media links on your promotional and marketing material.
Place your primary platform on your business card.
Wherever and whenever you can, share your social media links.
Consistency is Key
An inactive social media account looks bad if you're an entrepreneur. Plus savvy social media users will "unfriend" you fast if you let your account go inactive. It limits our reach!
If creating fresh content is difficult for you day after day, check out the tips in my posts 10 Sources for Content Creation Ideas and The Ultimate Social Media Marketing Battle Plan.
Social media marketing should be quick, easy, and fun. If it's not, you're doing it wrong.
But there are tactics and strategies you can use that will help you build a presence that attracts people to you. And that is what attraction marketing is all about. Following the ideas posted here will put you way ahead of the the game.
I want to hear from you, too. Any tips or tactics that I missed? Let me know in the comments below!
