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/
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.
Dick Wagner 419-202-6745 
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!
Only twenty years ago we used to say that about the Yellow Pages! In our case, the business was in a small (20,000 pop) mid-western community with the bigger cities 45 minutes east and west of us. We had to buy YP ads in 7 different phone books to get exposure to all the markets we wanted. That YP invoice was a lot of dollars – 
Even TV and radio ads are only purchased by major franchises and the big boys in their local market. If you ask them, they can’t tell you if the money was well spent.
Our clients ask us all the time if they should spend money on targeted ads on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, or LinkedIn. Yes, but. Don’t pay to boost a FB post. That’s throwing away money! It’s far more effective to spend FB money on a targeted ad to get more business page likes because you can 
RAPIDLY CHANGING
If you are the owner or director of marketing in a business-to-business company, (commercial prospects such as Hotels, Nursing Homes, Property Management Companies, Hospitals, etc), this social media strategy is critical to your business success!
Business-to-Business (B2B) companies will often use social media to give potential customers an idea of “who, what, when, why, where and even the how” of doing business with them. Commercial prospects and clients like this interaction and information, especially when it’s presented in a non-selling format.
Blogs are a great place to post “white papers” and other technical notices and articles. They will draw the attention of those that are truly interested, and you’ll be surprised at how many views you get. The more you post that is relevant and useful, and the more you interact with those that do read and comment on your posts, the stronger the following and the more trust you build with your readers and followers. If they aren’t reading it, either you aren’t posting info that is interesting, helpful, or useful. If your company does not have a Blog yet, then you are already seriously behind in marketing B2B in our new world of SM.
