Social media- it's a popular buzz word these days, but what does it mean, and more importantly- how can you increase your sales using it?
WHAT is it? Social media is a term used to describe online media websites like You Tube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, Foursquare and thousands of other websites. They are called social media sites because anyone can contribute, comment and share the content placed on these sites.
HOW does it work? Social media is a way of connecting with people that is extremely popular and may even be more popular than traditional ways of connecting, like on the phone or face to face.
WHY should I care? The easiest way to describe social media is that it's like attending a networking event. If you don't go, the attendees won't likely know about you never mind get to like you or trust you, which are the 3 precursors to a sale.
HOW do I use it to generate sales? By getting prospects to Know, Like and Trust you, when they are ready to buy they will choose you instead of your competitors.
WILL it guarantee me sales? No. The bottom line is that in order to have a chance of getting an online sale, you need to have a presence online.
The biggest thing I have learned, which lead me to my networking analogy is that you need to communicate differently with your audience than you would through traditional media like the radio or print ads. What is different is that a hard or obvious sell simply doesn't work. It works the opposite way that you want it to. Imagine attending a networking event where someone is handing out brochures or has set up a tradeshow booth- what a turn off!!
Social media is about being present in front of people that are prospective customers or alliances in an authentic way that encourages interaction.
It's certainly a different way of doing things which is very user centered- with each interaction you MUST keep in mind- what's in it for my prospects?
In my experience there are 3 ways to have people engage with you. Make them laugh, Shock them or give them valuable information. Deliver value in a memorable way and you bet people will remember you when they're ready to buy.
So, how do you get started? The best way is to simply start. Create accounts and add the people you already know, your competitors and companies in related industries and then sit back and watch what is popular and what do people like?
The biggest 3 reasons that I find people don't get started are: knowledge, time and money.
As for knowledge, stay tuned and I will educate you on everything you need to know to have a successful social media campaign.
For time, it's a matter of scheduling it as a MUST DO on your list. I started by committing to 15 minutes a day during lunch, and after the first few weeks it's easy.
As for money, well, it's free to do it yourself and the knowledge is free. So unless you're looking to outsource your social media campaigns you don't need money - how great is that?!
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