If you want to improve your social media efforts it would be helpful to have a working definition social media. Here’s one I use: social media is a network of online interactive communities that feature user generated content. So, knowing that, a) are you interacting or just broadcasting? b) have you established yourself as a valuable member of a community? c) are you generating original content AND curating other peoples’ content?, and d) is that content entertaining, educational, or informative? Picture yourself at a cocktail party. How long would you stand next to someone who is just repeating a marketing message? Bo-ring!
Here are 5 tips to help you improve your messaging and, most importantly reach LOCAL prospective customers and clients.
1. Develop an online persona
Bring a unique personality out in your social media presence. Again, using the cocktail party analogy, is your online persona interesting, entertaining, informative, engaging or are you just a drone?
2. Identify local “influencers” in social mediaThere are thousands of conversations taking place in social media on any particular subject. In your town or county there will be a group of people who have commanded the status of “influencers” on various unique topics The overall strategic objective of your social media efforts should be to become an “influencer” in your own area of expertise but in order to do that you will need to ally yourself with influencers on OTHER topics.
3. Engage in “oblique” messaging
You’ve Identified influencers. Now you must tailor content to get their interest. The topic of your blogging or curating does NOT have to be just about your own business. If you are able to produce some original content that will be of interest to them that is great. At least you can find and post a link so that when you “friend” or “follow” one of these influencers they have a reason to ally with you. If a top influencer in your town is writing about horseback riding then post something about that. If another influencer is writing about wine then post something that he or she can pass on to their followers. Your objective is to get on their radar so that when you DO post content about your business you now have a brand advocate.
One of the most common mistakes I see small business owners doing regarding their social media content is treating it like an online pamphlet. They just broadcast their message. There is no listening. There is no genuine interaction. There is no real community building.
4. Promote other peoples’ content
The first rules of networking is: be useful to the person with whom you wish to network. This is self explanatory but it is surprising how few people really pay attention to this simple and effective principle.
5. Create Original Content that is shaped for the local market
You have built a diverse community of local influencers now you must produce and distribute some original content so they have a reason to pass your links on to their followers. OK, first, what do I mean by “original content?” Write a blog, make a photo gallery, record a podcast, make a video----create something! Content is still king of media and it is no different for social media. User generated content is a defining feature of social media (as I mentioned above) and is the key to establishing yourself and your business as an authority in your community.
One final tip: post all your blogs on your main business website so that you have the opportunity to generate bookmarks and backlinks to your main site. When you post to social media channels like Facebook and Twitter you can cut and paste the link to your company’s blog from there.
It’s a lot of work to do social media marketing for local small business so you may as well do it according to some principles that increase your likelihood of success.
Cheers, Philip Stephano
The author, Philip Stephano, is a social media marketing strategist in Bucks County, PA and founder of PrimalTweet. He is passionate about helping local and regional business around the country to use social media as an effective tool to find local prospects and customers. To learn more about Stephano go to http://about.me/philipstephano