Why it is so important to listen on social media..
These days we have the incredible advantage of social media. These platforms give us the freedom to express ourselves and our ideas and to sell products.
The vast majority of people are becoming aware of this fact, and they are looking for insiders to teach them how to best take advantage.
They want to know how to get more people to follow them, how their profile needs to look, how to get people’s attention, how to entertain an audience and how to sell a product or a service.
Of course, these are very important things to know, but I have noticed that very few people know how to listen to social media and understand the value of doing so. In order to be successful on social media, you need to know how to listen to people online as well.
In my experience, I have achieved the best results once I understood that my business it is not about me, how good I am, what I am doing or what I am sharing.
It is about the people who choose to buy my products and services. Once I gave up the need to prove how important I was and how much value my services could bring people's lives, people started to come to me naturally. That’s because I was able to understand them better.
Here are some specific tips on how to listen on social media:
Look for people in your vicinity whose activities are related to your business and approach them in a friendly way.
Even though these people don’t need your products or your services now, they may need them in the future or may know somebody who does. It is very important to create connections with the people around us because this is how we will gain their trust. If they trust us, it is easier for them to trust our business.
For example, if you own a ski shop near a ski area, you should be engaging with local skiers. Instagram will show you who is posting and checking in. Just hit the like button or make a simple comment like, “Great day for skiing.” You don’t need to follow them. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend following them. If they like your brand they will follow you. And they might even stop in to pick up a pair of gloves, or more.
Comment on people's posts in your community, and make them feel like you are paying attention to what’s important to them.
People like to show off what is going on in their lives, and a simple like or comment can go a long way. We need people’s support and approval. We all like to feel important, and we have developed that need even from our early childhood. It is a great feeling to know that an important person or an expert is supporting us on our choices.
Respond to people's comments on your posts and answer their questions.
When we post, the follow up is important. Don’t stop halfway when you post. Your community will often respond to your original post, but it’s not over just yet. Keep the conversation going. Keep engaging and show that you are listening. Not taking the time to continue to engage can and will turn off your community. Why should they comment when it goes on deaf ears?
Take into consideration their opinion about you or your business.
Social media is the main way your community provides feedback. It’s a powerful tool to get opinions, good and bad. But some of us aren’t sure how to handle a bad opinion, or we overlook responding to a positive mention. This is where you have to treat review sites as social media as well. If someone takes the time to leave a comment or mention or review you, you should take the time to answer back.
Guest Authored By Marcus Guiliano. Marcus is Restaurant success coach & Restaurateur at the Hudson Valley's 1st Green Restaurant. Follow Marcus on Twitter.
Related Article: YOUR Local Business Social Media Marketing?
"Remember that all you want is to grow your business.
The time spent on social media has to be just enough to use the above tips and give your business a boost. It doesn’t have to be the main marketing strategy unless you are a big social media influencer.
Keep track of what social media does for your business, but don’t expect results right away. Sometimes it takes up to 15 times to touch a potential client with your brand." -MarcusGuiliano
Post Crafted By:Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends. My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
