Social Media: Do I Have To??!
I’ve noticed that a lot of my new clients groan when I mention social media. I often hear, “Do I have to??!”
What a lot of people don’t realize is that by putting in just a few minutes here and there, you can make a big impact with social media. Social media is a uniquely effective tool in helping people get to know you, like you, and trust you. Plus, if your customers and prospects are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Clubhouse, etc. — well, you need to be there too!
It might help to remember that social media and other digital platforms are designed to do most of the work for you. The AI and algorithms used by these platforms can help get your message to people you didn’t even consider might be interested in your product or service. This is a super effective way to reach lookalike and custom audiences!!
So, about creating those posts …. You might be surprised to find that you already have all the content you need to put together some awesome posts. Look back through your email and find a few conversations where you helped a customer tackle a challenge of some kind. Each of those is a gem that you can turn into a quick post or blog that offers value to the reader.
If you’re doing a presentation, demo, or webinar on Zoom, record it. (This is a great habit to get into! You’ll find that you leverage these recordings for all kinds of things — for sales, marketing, training, and more.) You can pull a 30-second clip out of one of these recordings to create a short video for YouTube or Vimeo, then publicize it on your other social platforms.
Need another reason to use video? People buy from people they like. Video’s a great way for people to know, like, and trust you.
Beyond that, simply use your own experience. Think of one question — just one! — prospects ask before becoming customers, and then answer it. (Maybe use a recent phone call as inspiration?) Talk about the problem and how you solve it. Done! Just like that, you’ve got a blog post or video.
Still not sure?
You talk on the phone with customers, exchange emails, catch up at trade shows, and so on. Take that one extra step, and meet prospects on social media too! If you leave this element out of your marketing efforts, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity — and your existing customers are probably wondering where you are. 😊
Next Steps:
Use social media as a tool for establishing social proof. People rely on recommendations from friends and colleagues as they make purchase decisions. Comments, retweets, and likes on social media —use any or all of it to share recommendations, testimonials, and other social proof that can help your brand and business.
Start even simpler than a video or blog. Just take a photo of yourself and share it! Use a wide shot to show where you work, what kind of space you inhabit every day, and what happens around you. You might be surprised at what can generate likes on your feed. People love getting an inside look at how other people work and live.
If you’re already a blogger, review some of your old posts and pull out a few smaller ideas that could stand alone on social. By doing this, you make good use of good content, and you can actually schedule out a series of related social posts with relatively little thought or effort. (You’ve already done most of the work!) You don’t have to come up with original material every time. Just make it interesting and relevant to the needs of customers and prospects.
Related:
How to Build a Social Media Strategy That Works
How to Use Retargeting, Lookalike, & Custom Audiences – Your Facebook Pixel and LinkedIn InSight Tag
How to Use LinkedIn to Succeed in Business
Summary:
Social media might not be the first thing you think of when you think “trade show,” but posting before, during, and after the NAB Show can play a huge role in your success.
In a recent post of her own, marketing expert Cindy Zuelsdorf of Kokoro Marketing explains why social media matters — and that most people already have done most of the work; they just need to transform past effort into bite-size pieces for audiences across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms. Cindy’s advice outlines a few small steps you can take to significantly extend your reach and drive interest in your products and services.
