Social Media is About Being Social

Communicating with people, whether they are customers or clients, is the key to building a successful business. Social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, make it easy to engage in conversation with others and build the trust necessary for good business relationships.

Unfortunately, more often than not, instead of using social media as a two way conversation relay, many businesses are using it as a bullhorn. They are telling their audience all about their business but not really engaging them in a way that encourages them to be their most passionate fans.

Getting to this level requires that you get to know your followers and allow them to get to know you. That means putting the social back into social media.

The Benefits of Getting Personal on Social Media

Engaging in real conversations with the people in your social network provides many benefits. Primarily, it allows you to get to know their likes and dislikes, what motivates them, and the things they are passionate about. Additionally, it allows them to learn the same things about you which promote a comfortable relationship between you.

You will be in a better position to meet the needs of your customers and prospects if you know what their real goals and dreams are. For example, most people want to make more money. There are hundreds of ways that can be done but, generally, people have a specific idea on how they would like to earn that income.

If you are selling a business opportunity, you won’t really know whether or not the business is a good fit for them unless you take the time to get to know what your prospects are all about. Your business opportunity may require them to handle inventory. If they don’t want to deal with that, then you may be wasting time trying to convert someone who isn’t really interested in what you are doing. And if you manage to get that person signed up, they will be more likely to drop out because that’s not what they truly want.

Your social media marketing will be more effective because you will have a deeper understanding of who your target market is and how best to approach them with your marketing message. Lastly, but certainly not least, you’ll be building long lasting relationships that will enrich both your business and your life.

How to Bring Social Back to Social Media

Getting personal on social media outlets is really not that difficult. All it really takes is an adjustment in your mindset. Instead of talking shop all the time, bring up other subjects of interest. Look for common ground between you. For example:

* If you both are trying to go green, you can talk about environmental issues as well as share tips on how to live a more eco-friendly life.

* For those with children, you can talk about the challenges of parenting.

* Current events are always good conversation fodder although some topics, like politics and religion, can be tricky.

* Go to their profile and see what they are talking about and join the conversation.

* Visit their blog and talk to them about topic they wrote about.

It may feel a little awkward at first, especially if you are not used to just starting a conversation with “strangers”. The more you do it, though, the easier it will become. Eventually, it will feel like you are conversing with old friends. After all, strangers are really just friends we haven’t met yet.

Download my free social media checklist (sign up in sidebar) for a daily to do list of all the things you need to do to increase your following. For personalized help, contact me for a free consultation on the best way to market your business online including using Twitter and other internet business tools.

(photo credit: PublicDomainPictures)

For more tips on how to use social media to rock your business, visit my archives.