This is a guest post from Lynn Terry of ClickNewz, successful internet marketer for well over a decade, and blogging full-time for more than five years…
A lot of online marketers view Social Media properties as a means of getting traffic to their blog or website, or as a way to get inbound links. This creates a lot of noise in the social media spaces, flooding info streams on sites like Facebook and Twitter.
You can push content out, pull feeds in, use software programs to automate your processes. Auto DM’s on Twitter for example, are a robot-like way to “connect” with your new followers. Or so people think…
I’m all for automation and systems in my online business, and use them strategically. I use post-dating features in WordPress to schedule blog posts, autoresponders to follow up with new customers or subscribers, and scheduled email notifications for my readers to receive my latest blog updates.
But with Social Media, standing out from the noise in your readers’ info-stream is extremely important. If you really want to stand apart, and connect with your target audience, consider these 5 important elements in your Social Media strategy:
1. Reply/Respond – First!
I check in daily on my Social Media properties, my favorites being Twitter & Facebook, and I focus in on replies and mentions. You may not have time to get involved in the active stream of updates from others, but you’ll do well just to reply to any tweets or replies. The same with Facebook – I check first for any new messages on my wall, or replies to my own wall posts.
No matter how good your information is, if you only push out content and never respond to replies or questions… you’ll quickly become part of the noise in their info-stream. Ignore, and you’ll be ignored.
2. Be Resourceful, Not Just Self-Promotional
To be a true Market Leader in your niche, you’ll want to be the “go-to guy” for all things relevant. Break news, share blog posts you’re reading, retweet or share updates from other Market Leaders in your space.
While you may think “hey, I’ll be promoting my competitors!”, the truth is that you’ll providing valuable content to your readers. They will appreciate the updates, and make it a point to keep an eye on your for more interesting links.
Obviously you’ll mix your own updates and links in with these, and the end result is that you’re considered a valuable resource. Not just self-promotional.
3. Engage, Ask Questions
In addition to sharing solid information on a regular basis, and responding to any comments or questions, you also want to be the discussion-starter. Ask your friends & followers questions, or engage them in an active discussion about a hot topic.
If you’re niche is Time Management, ask them which techniques they use and like to manage their busy schedules. If your niche is Gift Ideas, ask them the best gift they’ve ever given – or received. You get the idea.
People like to be heard. Giving them an ear will ensure they also give you theirs.
4. Let Your Readers Do The Promotion
Be sure that you include Social Media options with your content that encourages your readers to Stumble, Digg, Tweet, bookmark your page, or share your content on Facebook.
While publishing your own links on your own profiles is a good strategy, what other’s share and say about you will carry much more weight than what you share or say yourself. Make it easy!
5. Join Conversations About You, Your Site & Your Products
There are several ways to track conversations across the web. You’ll want to set up Google Alerts for your name, your domain(s), and your product titles. This will send you an email alert of any blog posts or mentions so that you can view them and join in on those discussions.
Posting a simple “thank you for the mention” is a good start, but you can also check for issues or questions that need to be addressed. Don’t let a conversation about your product hang out there without acknowledgment.
In addition to Google Alerts, you can set up a column in TweetDeck for an ongoing search of keyword mentions. You can also use http://search.twitter.com to search manually.
One of my personal favorites is http://www.ubervu.com which allows you to track mentions and conversations across all of Social media – including FriendFeed, YouTube, Twitter, Blogs & Blog Comments, etc. UberVU is especially helpful as it tracks links even when they are shortened by TinyURL or Bit.ly
6. Be You, Not Your Brand
Even if you are using Social Media to promote a company and/or a brand, you want to be the human element behind that logo or username. Make sure that people know who you are, and how to address you personally as a start.
As an example, I follow @Aweber on Twitter. But I also follow @JustinPremick – Director of Education Marketing at Aweber. It’s Justin that I usually have personal conversations with regarding Aweber features or specific services they offer.
People like to do business with people.
There is a big difference between being ON Social Media properties, and being engaged in Social Media.
You may not have time to read every single tweet from every single person you are following, or keep up with your Facebook friends’ hourly updates. But you can organize your information streams strategically, and focus on industry news & events to share with your followers and friends.
And if nothing else make sure you respond to every conversation about you, to you, or in direct response to your updates. Being accessible and personally engaged is what will make you truly stand out from all of the Social Media noise – head and shoulders above your competition.
Best,
See Lynn’s own Twitter Marketing Strategy and Internet Marketing Blog for even more great tips on Social Media & online business success.
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November 13th, 2009 at 3:36 am
Excellent suggestions. I have a hard time keeping up with the social media sites, and this gives me a path to follow. Thank you Lynn and Stanley.
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November 13th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Spot on Lynn. Something so fundamental yet overlooked so much.
It takes people like us to bring them back to reality and make sure they engage their tribe, not talk at em.
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November 13th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Lynn you have written wonderful article. this will help newbies who has not knowledge about social media
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Nicole Price (80 comments) Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Why newbies only, even oldies can benefit.
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November 13th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Social media require a high level of engagement and its more about giving to community. This article is really great especially the #2 point is very crucial
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November 13th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Love the comment about being ENGAGED vs. just ON social media properties. Thanks for the tips.
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November 13th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Wow! What a great post! I didn’t know that about Google Alerts. I just signed up for it! Thanks for the great tips!
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Nicole Price (80 comments) Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Yes, the google alert tip is very useful.
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November 13th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
You mentioned some of the very good points…. nice read!!
“Be You, Not Your Brand” is the best one I liked..
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November 14th, 2009 at 6:11 am
Well, one way to stand out from the noise is to be a good looking and (Intelligent woman), which you obviously are !
Great post and useful unique advice (Not a tired rehash of the same old advice).
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November 14th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I never thought that I could feel like I “know” someone in cyberspace like I have gotten to know Lynn, the person. She practices everything she talks about in her post. Try her blog Clicknewz. I am an “elite” member and the folks in the forum and Lynn really work on what folks need to succeed. Get to know her!
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November 14th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I commented earlier, but I think it was eaten by the filters lol. I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the great comments here! I found some of you on Twitter when you tweeted this post, and look forward to keeping up with you there
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November 14th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Great article. I hope many read this. Let’s hope that it will contribute to the reduction of noise!
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November 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I neither twitter nor facebook but found this article fascinating. To do all that Lynn suggests, one needs to be like her a full time blogger business person!
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November 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
That’s true, Nicole – but you can also have an assistant that tracks a lot of things that need to be done, and only do the personal responses and conversations yourself. It’s actually fun and interesting, and incredibly helpful in knowing your target market on an intimate level. What they like, dislike, need, want, think, feel, etc – great for those who want to become a market leader.
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November 18th, 2009 at 2:39 am
that no. 6 strucked me as I am guilty of it. nice post Lynn!
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November 19th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Hi “home needs”,
You can also use SEO as your primary marketing method, which requires less personal involvement or “conversation” than social media marketing. I do this a lot with some of my smaller affiliate sites.
That said, I run my niche affiliate sites under pen names, and I find that takes away a lot of the apprehension or nervousness you might feel as an introvert. You can create names and persona’s and be the character that best fits your niche – an idea to consider…
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November 20th, 2009 at 2:49 am
Violating #2 is the quickest way to get me to un-follow!
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November 20th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Twitter & Facebook are the buzz words nowadays.
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November 21st, 2009 at 3:50 am
Very nice post, Lynn. I love reading all your posts.
I always worry about Number 6- Not having enough brand I guess.
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November 21st, 2009 at 5:44 am
Love the post Lynn as always
Social media is social first. When we forget that we forget why we are doing it.
As a business person you have to know WHY you are doing something. Don’t do it just because everyone tells you too. If your market is octogenarian’s in Thailand rice patties, social media probably isn’t where you need to spend your time.
Realize that every time you post to the web, you are building your brand. You make the choice on what you build though. It is very easy to build a very shaky house if you don’t think through your social media strategy.
Understand your brand, and represent it in social media.
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November 24th, 2009 at 3:28 am
Not at all, “business” -heh
The great thing about social media is that it allows merchants to enter into the conversation about their brands, and with consumers. So intead of marketing TO customers, we’re interacting with them on the social level. On their level. And it brings ecommerce to a whole new place.
For excellent reading on the topic, get Socialnomics by @equalman
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November 24th, 2009 at 10:58 am
These were simply one of the best tips i’ve seen on the Internet so far. Great article. I do only a couple of those mentioned above but will make it a must to be personally involved, for instance, replying messages and tweets, etc. Thanks for this awesome share.
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November 24th, 2009 at 11:01 am
These are indeed top class tips. All you have said above make sense and are worth the try for anyone who have an online business they want to promote via social media.
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November 25th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Stanley Tang,
All you share and suggest is great, the third way engage/asking questions is great because sharing and asking questions improves ones knowledge
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November 25th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I really like your last point about being engaged in Social Media. This is an old fashioned approach and I subscribe to it myself. You have to be involved in social media in order for it to benefit you. You can’t just set up a MySpace account and expect more business.
Cheers,
Cody
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November 25th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Exactly, Cody – or pushing updates out via Twitter but never actually getting engaged. Same thing.
That said, if you work it… it has a fabulous ROI
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November 27th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I am exactly looking for soemthing like this, as i wanna learn and know what it requires to build socia media and use it to promote your products.
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November 27th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
These are all great tips on how to stand out in social media. There is so much going on it is easy to not get heard.
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November 30th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Lynn,
Great post. You offer some very important points for everyone to adopt.
Translation for some: be honest, participate and be yourself.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
She is right, you don’t want to necessarily promote your brand, but promote yourself and let your readers do it for you too. Now if your readers do it for you, then you must have some good content.
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December 7th, 2009 at 8:47 am
No.6 is really great. Nice one Lynn!
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December 7th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Thank you Katrina!
The comment just above yours, from “Landlord” – lol, a great example of what NOT to do
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December 8th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Thanks for posting Stanley. I’ve been an avid reader of Lynn’s blogs, these tips are really helpful in building trust with your network. I also try to answer all the messages on my facebook and twitter account daily. Your right about that be you and not your brand thing. Regards
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December 9th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
A high compliment – thank you!
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December 17th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I love number 6. People usually follow experts, not products. If you’re going to sell right out the gate, they’ll just brand you as a spammer. Be the expert that you are or can be and they’ll come to you.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 6:42 am
this is very helpfull
social bookmarking has become incredibly popular now, sites like stumbleupon and digg are getting thousands of submissions daily, its getting harder and harder to go viral with anything
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December 31st, 2009 at 2:21 am
In the years I have been doing business, I can assure you that #1 is highly important, and without doing it, you are putting many potential clients on the line
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January 13th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Great tips, the whole social thing has become so spammy but if you dont use it your blog or website is loosing out.
I try to use my actual name and picture were ever i go online, i have never see somone using a huge dollar sign as an Avatar and thought ‘He looks interesting’ .
People spend so much time on the websites and blogs of the ‘big hitters’ online, yet they dont notice that every successfull online entrepreneur uses their name as a brand.
Paul.
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May 27th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Excellent post Lynn. I neglected such ideas. Thanks for reminding me. I should note unto this. Anyway, just want to share with you about offline advertising. This is one of the most overlooked ways to drive traffic to your website. Its simple, say, I’ve had great luck with postcards, display ads, classified ads and recently radio advertising, which I am finding very interesting for driving qualified leads to my business.
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September 1st, 2010 at 1:53 pm
awesome post man,keep them coming,very usefull for a full time blogger like me…i will try them out..
thanos´s last blog ..PUT COLOUR IN GOOGLE SEARCH
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