Use Social Media to Grow Business

25-Mar-2010

Can using social media help your business? Can grown-up professionals really link-up with prospects on Linked-In? Is it even possible to Twitter about thoughtful topics?  If you’re wondering, you’re not alone. Modern social customs have left many professionals scratching their heads. According to The Nielsen Company total minutes spent on Facebook increased nearly 700 percent and time on Twitter increased more than 3700 percent year-over-year. No wonder you’re wondering.

But should you network online just because everyone else is doing it?  Your mother would tell you no. Your teenage son would look at you cross-eyed and ask, “What? You mean you aren’t already on?” The answer to whether or not you should be networking online lies somewhere in the middle of that generational gap. Clearly, social media isn’t the end-all, but it can be effective when used in conjunction with more traditional marketing efforts. Why not give it a try? For years you’ve been trying to draw customers in. It makes sense to go out there on the net and try to get them for free. It's sounds easy enough, but think before you leap. Are you really up for it? If so, where do you want to be? And how do you want to do it?

Are you ready to learn the skills of social media?

Social media isn’t right for everyone. And what’s right for one may not be right for another. If you’re considering getting your feet wet, be prepared: You’ll feel like a fish out of water, at least for a little while. If you have experience in this business you likely started when such a thing couldn’t be fathomed. Imagine! Chatting on your computer with people you don’t know, at all hours of the day, from all parts of the world. It’s daunting if you weren’t born and raised with a mouse in your hand. Don’t let it stop you. Social media is a new opportunity to reach out and connect with a tremendous audience, as often as you want, whenever you want, with one click of a button. To take full advantage, consider putting someone in charge. Assigning a key team member to manage all aspects of your social media strategy assures consistency across all channels. A steady approach will help you develop your niche and attract a large and loyal following.

Where do you want to be?

Before you launch yourself into cyber social circles, you must first consider the different cultures. Your son, the one who rolled his eyes when you asked about social media, is probably on My Space or Facebook. These tend to be used more by families, friends and classmates. A smart rule of thumb: Keep your college drinking buddies away from your clients. If, however, you don’t mind mixing a little personal with business, Twitter is more of a melting pot. LinkedIn is the primary business-only network where professionals can market their intellectual capital and manage their audiences. If you’re reading this, your best bet is to get LinkedIn.

How can you use social media effectively?

Use it as a way to build your own “tribe.” Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, describes a tribe as “a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. A group only needs one thing to be a tribe:  a shared interest and a way to communicate.” There you have it. Now what do you do with it?

I.  Create a Personal Profile for You and Your Firm:  When you set up your profile you’re essentially creating an overview of yourself, your business and your accomplishments. If you’re new to LinkedIn, start slowly and add information incrementally.  LinkedIn uses a Percentage-to-Completion tool that can be a little annoying, but a good reminder to keep developing your profile. Once you’ve set up, you can begin connecting with people.  If your intention is to grow your business, make sure you restrict your invitations to business relations.  If you want to keep in touch with your friends and family, consider adding Facebook or Twitter.

II.  Search Interest Groups and Participate:  LinkedIn is full of special interest groups and it offers an effective search engine that allows you to search by names and categories, as well as other criteria. You can also search for groups you connect with and chances are they’ll be connected to groups with similar interests. After you’ve found a complimentary group start by sharing your knowledge in a way that helps others. By helping others first you’ll make that connection and begin to build the good rapport that establishes a solid foundation.

III.  Create Your Own Group: Take charge and start your own group. It’s the hidden secret on LinkedIn. The key is to keep the content fresh. As the facilitator, you immediately establish yourself as a credible source and can construct a group with specific skills and interests. When you start a group, you can choose to keep it public or private. As a public group, anyone can join. As a private group, anyone who wishes to join must first get your approval. Although you may worry that forming a private group will limit new connections, you may be surprised. When you explain it’s for clients only, the next question is, “What do you do?” Public or private, your own group or someone else’s, being part of a cyber community gives you a chance to meet, learn, and share, all at the click of the button.

There’s no doubt social media is growing at an exponential rate. Much more slowly professionals are beginning to accept it as an inescapable part of modern-day business. If you’re like most, you’re not quite ready to embrace a medium that didn’t exist when you graduated college. Duly noted. But now’s the time. You have an opportunity to create engage people online and you can get there now, before most of your competitors. Consider the possibilities for marketing, advising, prospecting, business development, recruiting, research and more. Using social media isn’t the silver bullet, be it can be an effective part of your overall business strategy.  Remember to start slowly and build as you go.  Before you know it you’ll have an online audience waiting to hear from you.