I have 1700+ ‘friends’ on Facebook and 3300+ connections on LinkedIn (and 600+ on my Twitter account), and the worst thing I can do is promote myself or my company! My posts and content on my Blog or other social media accounts must never be salesy and talk about ‘what I do.’ Nobody wants a commercial or promo about “what you do.”
NOT LIKES
Often, well-intentioned marketers start using social platforms with the goal of reaching a certain number of Likes, Retweets, or Shares, but just as often, they begin the trip of social media strategies by experiencing a disconnect between the Content they post on their Blog or in Tweets. Even more frustrating is the methodology they use to measure their success. It isn’t about how many Likes on the Facebook business page!
TELL STORIES
People love stories and especially stories that make the client or customer the hero! Find ways to tell stories about how an agent or a plumber got more recognition and credibility by succeeding with you.
We have said this over a thousand times – RELATIONSHIPS matter even when the contact is engaging with you on some form of social media. When you finally get to the point – or decision that Social Media is not working for you, look back at the posts that you made and see if they are relevant, or are they salesy and pushy – and too concerned with promoting your own company.
RELATIONSHIPS
Just as it is appropriate to build rapport with clients and prospects about their business and their needs and wants – it is correct to learn about them and their business and then talk about their business. NOBODY cares about ‘what you do or anything about your company. One restoration company is the same as another one – in their eyes. The companies that get the work are those that make the relationship:
- Fun
- Exciting
- Unusual
- Make the prospect the hero.
PUT IT IN WRITING
Being successful in the world of social media means you have to create a detailed roadmap, listing out on paper exactly what you are trying
to achieve and then break it down into small steps – then implement that plan. A well-planned, well-thought-out, well-implemented Content strategy is not only a vital component of any social media strategy; it’s the key to driving the results your business wants.
It’s OK to stir things up a bit and post something slightly controversial – just not about religion or politics. Your audience members enjoy your valuable or interesting social content when you deliver social content that rewards them for sharing your content, engaging with your business, and, ideally, helping to promote your reputation as a thought leader in your business or industry. Providing informative, helpful, educational, creative, and even humorous content makes it far more likely that you will have meaningful interactions.
The right strategy identified on paper allows you to track your success (or failure).
Author: Dick Wagner – nationally renowned expert on Social Media for Service Businesses 419-202-6745 cell
https://thecrestnetwork.com/ or https://crestlibrary.com/
For years and still today, many marketers ‘think’ they are going to get the call from the agent or plumber, but they are only generating $150k a year in revenue and that’s not enough! We often hear that it’s about ‘great service’ but that’s only AFTER the call comes in. It’s not about the latest tool or machine or gadget that your company has purchased. Everyone claims to offer great service or have the latest Binford 5000 machine but that isn’t enough to justify your business existence.
properly market your company is like getting promises from clients that never come thru!
consultant. It doesn’t take long after meeting them and that includes marketers as well before I instinctively know they are arrogant, cocky, self-righteous, and often have these absurd fantasies of greatness. I just met with one of them last week!
We have an elaborate Social Media system with almost a third of the world population on Facebook! So, it is highly unlikely that your business is: “in a class by itself, rare, special, unequaled, unique, unparalleled, unprecedented, or unrivaled.”
from the others and then promote that differentiation! Even though you will be hard-pressed to be unrivaled or unprecedented, to survive long-term, you will need to constantly identify and refine your differentiation. Let me say it again… Differentiation for your company is critical to your long-term success.
different techniques to elevate yourself above the competition, without the help of a cost prohibitive advertising budget comes down to knowing yourself, knowing your customer and playing to your strengths.
The very last thing you need in business is a frustrated, disgusted, or angry customer or potential customer! Yet, the “automated phone answering equipment” you are thinking about getting installed will be the very first aggravation your clients will deal with.
be more cautious, accepting, and aware of others around us. Clients, customers, our employees, and the public at large are all fearful of the virus, and many are so fearful they don’t want to work in the office anymore with co-workers. This thought process is at work with many of your customers also. It is no longer “business as usual!” The world has changed, and your customers now expect you to operate at a high level of safety and cleanliness.
During my years of coaching marketing people, I am often told by a marketer that they are “old school” and prefer to stay that way because that has always worked for them. (They were probably high-pressure salespeople back then). They don’t want to hear the world has changed. They don’t want to be told the way they used to sell won’t work very well today. They’ve spent 20 – 30 years selling a certain way, and quite likely during that time in the ’70s through the ’90s, they did OK or even very well. “Old school” is all they know, and they aren’t motivated to change. Little do they know that isn’t going to fly today.
they seek. Blogs are fantastic at creating that image for your customers. It’s been said many times, “people buy from people they like and people they trust.” Writing blog articles provides readers not only with great info about your products and services but about a range of topics and activities related to your business. With the billions of different searches that happen every day, it means that your well-written blog article will likely be found and read. Blogs are the perfect way to showcase your expertise and trustworthiness and offer content that your prospects will seek out. Most importantly, this must be an ongoing process, requiring you to update your blog posts often and keep content fresh.
a good picture or two with your blog post (or even Facebook post) increases the viewership and response by more than ten times! Pinterest is an excellent platform where you can capture your customers’ interest with quality pictures. Post pins (on Pinterest) with clear titles and unique, interesting, and entertaining images to stand out. This may require brushing up on your photography and web design skills, but the visibility is worth the effort, as Pinterest is one of the most visited websites each day. Buying pictures from online sources is a great way to get good quality, intense pictures. I have a Pinterest account and consistently post good pictures (with a weblink) about a variety of topics. One of the most popular boards on my Pinterest account is my board about Sales and Marketing!
Since we are talking about roofing, I recently (after Hurricane Irma) had to have a new roof installed. We interviewed a couple of roofing companies and found a dramatic difference. They were all offering 35-year asphalt shingles, and one offered a synthetic underlayment, promoting much better qualities and longevity.
