You're using social media...
strike that...
you have set up your social media accounts.
Now you are wracking your brains trying to think of something to say.
The most tempting thing to do is outsource your social media activities.
On the face of it it's an excellent idea; your company will be represented in the social space without you having to lift a finger (other than paying an invoice once a month).
However, there is a down side.
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers.
You can Tweet, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ all that's happening in your world.
You can interact with your customers and tell them what you're thinking.
Hmm...
what you're thinking.
If you do outsource, how can you get your thoughts out there and how can you interact with your customers? Social media builds relationships Relationships are vital for the survival of your business.
Every customer that comes through your actual or virtual door wants to build a trusting relationship with you so they know, should they need your products/services again in the future, they can rely on you.
How can someone else.
not involved in your business, create that kind of rapport? It's a bit like going for a job interview, but sending someone else in your place.
Why do you want to outsource?
There's always something to talk about (whether in your business or industry).
And there's nothing to "get".
Plus, with the right app on your smartphone you'll see exactly what's going on so you can respond to comments and tweets wherever you are.
A constant presence OK, yes, you do need to make updates fairly regularly, but I'm not talking about every 5 minutes.
If you blog, link up your social accounts so a notification goes out every time you publish a new post.
If you read an interesting article, link to it.
If you hear a great news story, tell people about it.
If there's breaking news in your industry, shout about it.
There are no rules as to how often you should be sending out updates, so just send them when you have something worthwhile to say.
Interaction Apart from your own profile raising, social media is also great for making new connections.
When you're enjoying a well earned coffee break, take a peek at your social feed and see what other people are saying.
Create lists of interesting people you want to follow and engage with and then respond to their tweets and posts to strike up a conversation.
What it all comes down to is that you know your business best, so you are ideally placed to talk about it.
You can react quickly and build real relationships.
Plus, writing your own updates means your personality will shine through and that's what your customers and followers want.
They want to get to know the real you, not a poor imitation.
If you want my advice, stop paying that retainer and start interacting yourself.
You'll enjoy the experience - honest.
strike that...
you have set up your social media accounts.
Now you are wracking your brains trying to think of something to say.
The most tempting thing to do is outsource your social media activities.
On the face of it it's an excellent idea; your company will be represented in the social space without you having to lift a finger (other than paying an invoice once a month).
However, there is a down side.
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers.
You can Tweet, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ all that's happening in your world.
You can interact with your customers and tell them what you're thinking.
Hmm...
what you're thinking.
If you do outsource, how can you get your thoughts out there and how can you interact with your customers? Social media builds relationships Relationships are vital for the survival of your business.
Every customer that comes through your actual or virtual door wants to build a trusting relationship with you so they know, should they need your products/services again in the future, they can rely on you.
How can someone else.
not involved in your business, create that kind of rapport? It's a bit like going for a job interview, but sending someone else in your place.
Why do you want to outsource?
- You think it's going to take too much of your time?
- You're not sure what to say?
- You just don't "get" it?
There's always something to talk about (whether in your business or industry).
And there's nothing to "get".
Plus, with the right app on your smartphone you'll see exactly what's going on so you can respond to comments and tweets wherever you are.
A constant presence OK, yes, you do need to make updates fairly regularly, but I'm not talking about every 5 minutes.
If you blog, link up your social accounts so a notification goes out every time you publish a new post.
If you read an interesting article, link to it.
If you hear a great news story, tell people about it.
If there's breaking news in your industry, shout about it.
There are no rules as to how often you should be sending out updates, so just send them when you have something worthwhile to say.
Interaction Apart from your own profile raising, social media is also great for making new connections.
When you're enjoying a well earned coffee break, take a peek at your social feed and see what other people are saying.
Create lists of interesting people you want to follow and engage with and then respond to their tweets and posts to strike up a conversation.
What it all comes down to is that you know your business best, so you are ideally placed to talk about it.
You can react quickly and build real relationships.
Plus, writing your own updates means your personality will shine through and that's what your customers and followers want.
They want to get to know the real you, not a poor imitation.
If you want my advice, stop paying that retainer and start interacting yourself.
You'll enjoy the experience - honest.