Top 5 Tips To Fill Your Business Bellies With Fundamental Social Media Strategies!

Social Media is a tool that ANY business can use to fill their funnel of “hungry bellies” with solid relationship marketing strategies.  This 4^th Quarter is the perfect opportunity to build the foundation for successful routines to catapult you into the New Year!

So, you may have built a Facebook Page, Gathered connections on LinkedIn, Dabbled in Twitter or Launched a Google+ Profile for your business. We hear frequently that people have “tried them on” and left them undernourished due to a variety of reasons.  Maybe you have never closed business using social media, known how best to navigate the changing temperatures of updates or had time to dedicate to this relationship tool.  Now is the time to reconsider your strategies.

A good friend of mine (Sabina Claus, Business Coach and Accountability Partner at www.sabinaclaus.com) says, “I love the MONTH of Thanksgiving”.  You heard me right, not the month of November, but the month of Thanks and Giving.  She is also the person who asked me this question, “How do you eat the elephant?”  As all of us know, you eat it, “One bite at a time”.  She said this isn’t correct.  Here is why.  You invite the village (your community), and you have a feast (or in other words, you tackle that battle together).  Wise words from a wise lady.  

With this season of Thanks and Giving, I invite you to have a feast with me.  Here are 5 things you can do to incorporate solid Social Media Strategies into your Online Marketing plans:

Tip #1: Choose the right Meat for your Social Media Marketing Campaigns

The only way you are going to know if the platform (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter) is right for you, is to create an account and search for your target market.  A Social Media Analyst will be able to pinpoint the best for you, but this is the first step.  If your clients aren’t present, will your ideal client be found in this platform?  Probably not unless you change your core focus and that is another situation all together.

Tip #2: Be consistent in your Cooking (activity) in Social Media

Social Media is intended to be a Social Engagement medium.  It isn’t a website.  Websites generally are pretty static (or don’t change much) once they are created and launched.  Your social tools are intended for you to post weekly (worse case scenario) or daily (and in some cases many, many times each day depending on the platform).  Without activity, you decrease your chances of engagement and you also decrease your chances of being found, followed and gain new followers.  If you are going to post an update, be sure to post at the best times of day for that platform which you can learn easily from a social media consultant based on your niche and target market.

Tip #3: Adding Media will be your Gravy to your Mash Potatoes 

It is always good to add links to your website or other articles you are sharing, images that tell the story about your post or video to enhance the user experience even further.  When you think about the psychology of a user, they may tend to gravitate more to “color” such as use of media than a post with just text because it is more visually appealing and can draw them in.  Posts that use media generally have a higher click through rate, share rate and expand your visibility to the networks that share it.

Tip #4: Build a Solid Routine using the Right Taste Testing Tools for your Social Media

Tools and scheduling options provide you with the most opportunity for flexibility in your social media marketing experience.  If you are able to have messages scheduled for you, you can easily promote events, seminars, promotions and product launches at inception and not worry about the visibility component each week (or day) leading up to the event.  Tools such as HootSuite are a great medium for that.  Schedule your posts, moderate comments, messages and engagement from any device, any place via this tool.  You can learn more by visiting: http://bit.ly/ZbYgiW

Tip #5: Hire a Social Media Chef (Social Media Manager)

Whether you choose to select an internal employee dedicated to marketing your business (online) or you outsource it, this activity should be the primary focus of this individual.  You are brilliant at the work that you do.  You generally don’t have the time nor capacity to be brilliant at your specialty and at something else.  If you wear too many hats, you tend to be just good (or ok) at one or the other.  It makes sense to bring in the experts to fill the spaces your business needs to launch to the next level, so you can focus on the things you love doing.

How does all of this tie into “filling your bellies”? the more you build your brand, you build the relationships with your viewers.   Once they “like” your page, they get to “know” you, once they get to know you, you have the opportunity to build “trust”, and with trust business happens.

Thank you for the opportunity to “FEED” your business!  Let’s FEAST!

~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don't get left behind ~ 

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a social media manager, trainer and author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Links

Curious on whether your social brand is built properly?  Get your Social Media Analysis today.