6 tips for being social media savvy in business.
I know why people write top (insert your number) lists for blogs, it helps focus the mind, keeps us on track and readers know what to expect. And that’s what you also require to be super social media savvy. You need to know who you’re writing for, you need to keep on track and your readers need know what to expect so you build the know, like, trust factor that’s so important in marketing – there, that’s one tip absolutely free!
Tip 1 – Be Consistent
The first thing you need to be super social media savvy is consistency. And you need this is a number of ways.
Stand back and look at your social media profiles (if you’ve already got them), do they look like they belong to the same brand. Can someone look at all the different places you show up on the net and go yes, I recognise her, she’s…. Or have you got different profile pictures in some places, a logo in others, pink all over Facebook and orange on twitter? Whatever you choose to have as your branding – keep it across all your profiles, that way people get to know, like & trust you.
Also be consistent in what your name is on your different social media profiles. Try to have the same across all platforms. So if you’re @debbiedooodah on twitter, be @debbiedooodah on Instagram too!
You also need to be consistent in the messages that you put out. If you’re the lady who runs a coaching business, loves cats, healthy eating and the occasional glass of red wine, you can’t suddenly become the lady who listens to death metal at the weekend. I know this is a massive contrast, but it’s helps to explain the point. Your community, friends & customers will grow to know, like & trust you – don’t scare them by suddenly becoming somebody else!
Tip 2 – Be Stalkable
If you’re running a business, you want people to be able to find you, buy your products and advocate on your behalf. So let them know where they can find you.
You can add your social media icons to your email signature. Find out how to do that here.
Make sure your icons are on each page of your website, so people can find you. Some people have them in a banner all at the top, you can get a floating banner on either side of your site or at the end like me - but make sure they're on every page.
If you’re using twitter, don’t have a blocked account. Let people follow you, otherwise they may not bother and you could lose a potential customer or even friend.
Make sure you are using a Facebook Business Page not your personal page. For a start it’s against Facebook’s rules, you won’t look professionals, it’s harder for people to simply ‘like’ your page and you lose out on all the amazing trickery that Facebook for business has to offer.
Have your social media icons on your business card. It’s not enough to add the Facebook logo – as lovely as that is all you’re doing is advertising Facebook!
Tip 3 – Drive traffic to your website
Make sure people know where they can find out more about you. If it’s appropriate add your web link to the end of posts, that way people can see what services you offer, discover your expertise and hear from other customers about the difference you’ve made to them.
Also make sure all your social media profiles have links to your website!
And if you can, get your website to work for you, by capturing people’s email address so you can continue to build a relationship with them.
Tip 4 – Know your customers
Do you know who your ideal customer is? Do you know who you’re addressing when you post on social media?
Knowing who you’re talking to is key in marketing. It’s impossible to address everyone, you become flat, dull and grey. You have a product, it solves a problem; who does it benefit, who would you most like to work with?
This works for all businesses.
Hans Zimmerman is a German composer. He’s composed some of the most recognisable movie scores of our time; The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, True Romance, Thelma and Louise and most importantly the theme tune for Going for Gold. The list goes on.
Now Hans writes everything for his perfect customer, everything. Not for Hollywood execs, for one person. She’s a single mum, she’s got 2 children and she’s poor. She saves up her money and takes the Kids to the movies (or herself) for 2 hours of escapism and listens to the music of Hans Zimmerman. Every score is almost a love letter to this woman.
If Hans the composer can create a powerful perfect ideal customer, so can you. Who do you want to serve?
Tip 5 – Know where your customers are
Now there are an awful lot of social media sites out there; Facebook, twitter, Instagram, linkedin, pinterest, snapchat, periscope to name just a few. But you don’t need to be on all of them, oh no.
It’s much better to be on 1 or 2 social media sites and do it well, than be on them all and do it badly.
So you now you know who your ideal customer is, where do they hang out on line?
Facebook has a lot of users, around 30 million Brits, they tend to be 25+ and spend quite some time reading status’s. (so ignore it at your peril!)
Twitter has 15 million users in the UK looking to find news, links and connections.
Instagram has around 14 million users in the UK. This has a younger audience and many more female users. This platform lends itself really well to businesses that can take a lot of good images, but I find pictures of my #healthylunch and my #catsatwork also seem to suffice!
Pinterest, which lets you pin useful articles from the web through images has around 10.4 million users in the UK. It’s target audience is rich women with money to spend and it argues it has one of the best engagements as far as making people ‘do’ something – in this case getting people to visit your website.
Linkedin is seen as the social media platform for professionals, with far less cat pictures than all the other platforms combined! It has around 19 million users and is really great at raising your profile as an expert and linking you in with similar groups, cementing professional relationships and getting leads.
Tip 6 – It’s not all about you!
The worst type of account is one that only talks about their products, their good ideas, their special offers and never engages. It’s the equivalent of being the person standing in the corner of a networking event talking about themselves, loudly. Don’t be that person.
There’s something called to 80/20 rule. By all means talk about your products and offers, but only 20% of the time. The rest of the time is about engaging with your customers. Sharing good content, enjoying being in the ‘conversation’. It makes you more human, and much more interesting to follow or like.
So now it’s over to you!
I've got plenty more tips up my sleeve! Why not take a look at ways you could find out more about them!
This post was originally posted in Henpicked
