Social Media Girlfriends

Social Media… I Like You… You Like Me… It’s Easy. by @JerylJagoda

January 21, 2012 | Author Social Media Girlfriends

It’s easy…except when it’s not. Right? Facebook rapidly seems to be taking over the world. But how do you effectively use this powerful platform to build your own visibility and brand awareness? How do you get your audience to know and like YOU?
Whether your business is brand new or has been around for a while, you’ve probably realized at this point that no business can launch or have any real success today without an online presence. There is just no getting around it. The business of Social Media is “return on engagement”. You must actively engage and build relationships in order to get your brand, message and/or product out there.

The #1 business mistake people make on Facebook is assuming that just putting up a fan page and posting content will get them a following. To help you get your 2012 Facebook marketing strategy off on the right foot, here are:


Social Media Darlings’ 6 Steps to a Bang’in Facebook Biz Page:

1. Make sure you have set up a Biz Page, not a personal account! Facebook is clear in their TOS that you cannot use your personal page for solicitation. In fact, once the Facebook elves come across a personal account that is clearly a business page, with examples of sales and marketing on it , they can and often will, take down the page. Your friends (who should be fans) will be lost. If you’ve been guilty of this rather common mistake, I firmly recommend that you switch your page ASAP and ask your friends to migrate over to your new Facebook home. It may seem too painful to even think about this – but imagine how much more it will hurt 3,000 friends/fans from now!

2. Set up a Welcome Page! It is very important for people to get who you are and what you do in an instant. Landing on your wall feed the first time they arrive may not be enough of a     grabber. Your investment in a Welcome Page will come back to you  ten fold. If you don’t want to hire anyone to create this for you, and you have a bit of an artistic flair there are tons of user friendly apps out there thatyou can use.

3. Find interesting content that will draw people in. What is your message? Don’t be afraid to give away lots of useful information. Always remember that you have to give it to get it! There are so many content aggregators out there. Subscribe and follow and when something hits you that you are passionate about share it!

4. Ask questions to get a conversation started. Don’t just post content… make a statement, then ask for opinions, suggestions, answers, anecdotes- anything! Because you must…

5. ENGAGE-ENGAGE-ENGAGE! LISTEN to what your audience is saying and what they need to know so you can give them what they want in your response. All anybody really wants is to be heard. Hear them, respond and you have a brand new fan.

6. Don’t sell from your page. Offer links that Do Not go to your website or to what you are selling, but rather lead to pertinent information of interest to your followers. Readers must trust you first. Soliciting can then be approached through tabs and focused landing pages, NOT ON YOUR WALL!

I can not stress enough the importance of you or the client you are working with getting out there and engaging with your target audience. If you are speaking for your client in their engagement, you better make sure you know their voice. The more they intereact themselves the better.

There are thousands of groups,twitter communities and #chats to engage with, find the ones that speak to you or that your why hooks into. I am, of course, partial to Social Media Girlfriends (www.fb.com/socialmediagirlfriends)- and not just because I am “Social Media Girlfriend Of The Month”, thank you @DabneyPorte and @Mamabritt, it has truly been an honor! But because groups like #smgirlfriends are priceless for networking, building engagement and helping you to become a formidable internet presence.

Don’t just rely on a Facebook Biz page. Get on out there on Twitter- start a #chat for your specialty. Don’t forget Google+, don’t worry we are all circularly challenged- get over it. What is it Van Halen said? You might as well Jump!

Social Media is about giving: Give and You Will Get Back. I highly suggest that you read Bob Burg’s “The Go Giver”. It totally changed the way I handle my business. Social Media has shown me the power of giving. And I have gotten back so much more than I would have ever expected. Jeryl- Out

Jeryl Jagoda is founder and CEO of Social Media Darlings- Dragging you TWEET FIRST into the Social Media Frontier.
www.socialmediadarlings.com
www.fb.com/socialmediadarings
www.twitter.com/jeryljagoda

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