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Getting Personal with Social Media

October 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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I have been using social media for a while now – both personally and for my business.  I also spend quite a bit of time researching social media, observing, and learning about the tools and technology.  And what I have learned is the more personal you are in social media, the more human you are, the more you you are – the better the results.

People are looking to connect and build a relationship – with a person.  And this especially applies if you are a small business or solopreneur.  People want to get to know you, not just what you do for a living.  This is how they build trust in you.  Because there are a lot of business coaches out there – your clients choose you because of that something extra.  That part of your personality they connect with and relate to.

You don’t have to share private information or anything that makes you uncomfortable.  But, if you can find a way to share some of your personality, some of what makes you unique, you will see better results.  I realize this is often easier said than done.  I struggle with it myself.  Finding that balance between the “business you” and the “personal you” can be difficult. Start with integrating a few non-business related posts.  Maybe it is sharing about the music you listen to, your favorite sports team, your hobbies, your favorite food, or the book you just finished.  It is the little personal tidbits that help your customers relate to you.  Keep trying and you will find the right mix.  Once you do, you will start to really see the value of social media.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/himmelskratzer/3252564869/
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Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: ,

Creating Online Content: Where to Start?

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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When marketing your business online, there seems to be a never ending need for fresh content.  Especially when you add social media to the mix!  Content is such a key component to internet marketing.   But, it can also be very intimidating and overwhelming.  You have blog posts, Twitter updates, Facebook posts, LinkedIn, forum discussions, free downloads, e-books and information products, email newsletters…and the list goes on!  Ahh!  Where in the world are you going to get all of this content?  It is enough to make you never want to start, right?

The good news is you know your industry, your customers, and your target market.  So you already have tons of information that is useful and helpful in your head!  You may already have some marketing materials that can be repurposed for online content.  It doesn’t have to be scary!  And you don’t have to write a novel (although, you can if you want to).    You just need to translate your experience into bite sized bits of information that your market can use.

Start by setting aside some time to really think about your target market.  Ask yourself:

  • What are their questions?
  • What are their problems?
  • How does my product or service solve them?
  • What are they interested in?
  • How can I help them get the most out of my product or service?
  • How can I make their life easier?

This should give you many topic ideas that you can then turn into blog posts, social networking updates, and more.  Your current and potential customers are turning to the internet to find answers.  They want solutions to a specific problem.  So you want to create content that provides those solutions.  It is as simple as that.

Creating online content really does not have to be intimidating.   Taking some time to brainstorm ideas and look at your business through the eyes of a customer is a great place to start.  You will find you have a nice list of ideas.  Then, as you write more blogs and spend more time using social media, you will start to notice what experiences will make great content!  And you will find yourself thinking – this will make a great blog post!

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Are you Suffering from Social Media Writer’s Block?

February 24, 2010 By 1 Comment
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Do you stare at your blank Twitter profile wondering what to write about?  Have your profiles sat under-appreciated and unused because you just don’t know what to say.  It is understandable.  When you first start using social media it can be a bit overwhelming.  In the beginning it is hard to know what is the “right” content to share.  Not to mention that you have only a few followers, so who is really listening anyway?

Well, for social media to be effective for your business, you have to get over this hump.  You have to start contributing and adding content.  Simply having a profile isn’t going to do much good for your business.  It must be updated regularly.  Here are a few ways for you to start coming up with that all important content:

  1. Read More.  Start to follow other blogs in your industry or that are of interest to you.  Look for good articles that your target market will also enjoy.  Then post links to the blog posts and articles that have good information to share.  You can add a little comment or just post the title and link.  Most websites and blogs make this very easy to do.  Just search for the “Re-Tweet” this or Share This button on the page and with a few clicks you have posted the link to your account.
  2. Share your Own Content – If you have a blog, be sure to post the link of your new blog post on your social media accounts.  (There are wordpress plugins available to make this very simple to do)  If you have written articles, post those.  Got an event coming up?  Mention it.  One side note – make sure you aren’t only posting links to your stuff.  This gets old fast.  Mix it in with other content and interaction.
  3. Comment or reply to someone elses post.  This is one of my favorites.  It doesn’t take long to reply to another tweet or comment on a facebook posting, and you are starting to build the ever important relationship this way.
  4. Spend 1 hour a week brainstorming content ideas.  Schedule this time in your calendar and keep it an easy to access file (I use Evernote).  Think of 10 valuable bits of information you can share.  It is much easier to do when you have set aside the time to focus on it.  Now, when you do get onto your social media sites, you already have some great content to post .  You can now spend your time responding and commenting to others.  Instead of spending all your time trying to decide what to say.

It doesn’t have to be scary.  And the only way you will really learn what works for your business is to try.  Stop staring at the blank screen and make it a priority to start talking.  Jump in!

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