The key thing to remember about social media is that it is all about being social. Being social means connecting, networking, interacting, and talking to people! So why is it that so many of us are scared (or intimidated) to connect with certain people? Why do we feel comfortable reaching out to some people and not others?
As a brand manager, you engage daily with your audience and your customers. And yet, you won't reach out personally to the brands that you follow. Or you won't engage with the more powerful online resources that could help you grow.
I could go into a depth of psychology here, but we all know that's not what my blog is about. And it's certainly not my forte. However, I think, primarily, we all get stuck in a comfort zone. We get used to talking with the same people online. The same customers regularly engage with us and we feel comfortable chatting with them.
And while this is great, this is not the ultimate value of social media.
Yes, you should have strong relationships with your audience. And you should continue to nurture those relationships. But if you're only talking to the same people, are you growing? If you're only connecting with those that contact you first, are you reaching your broadest audience?
People who already like you (or your brand) are going to be more inclined to engage with you online. They are already brand advocates and interacting with them will only make them bigger brand advocates. By all means, keep doing this!
But what about the people who aren't directly contacting you? Are you reaching out to them? Are you converting them into brand advocates? Are you finding out if there's something else you could be doing to make them enjoy your product even more? If you're not, you should be!
Even if you only convert one fan to being a brand advocate a month, that's still a huge reward! That's 12 more people every year that will promote your brand, both on and offline.
And let's talk about powerful social media influencers. Are you reaching out to industry leaders for advice? Are you connecting with top influencers who could share your content? Are you growing your network to include contacts who could recommend you to someone? Again, if you're not, you should be!
Remember that all of those experts, influencers, and leaders were all beginners at one time too. They had people help them and chances are they'd be willing to help you. But how will they know if you never ask?
Just to be clear here, though, I'm not talking about harassing or spamming people. I'm talking about networking and generating relationships. This isn't about following someone on Twitter and then immediately asking for a favor. This isn't about stalking a new Facebook fan and posting all over their page. Relationships take time to evolve and they have to be two-sided!
So, get out of your comfort zone every now and then. Interact with someone new! Reach out to new fans. Invite someone to connect with you. Engage with someone of influence. Ask for advice or assistance. Put yourself out there, and don't be afraid to connect!
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Good point you make between “spamming” and really forming a relationship. I try to respond to people’s posts and share things long before I try to do anything else. I also never post on someones FB page without asking or being invited.
Those all sound like good strategies, Kim!
Great post Jenn. In facebook, some users doesn’t respond to the strangers, and they don’t accept friend request because they are thinking it’s a scam.
But to make a wide connection, it is wise to connect the friend of our friends so that they can see that this stranger has many mutual friend with them. And they will surely think that this stranger is reliable.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Depending on how you use your Facebook page, your suggestion could definitely by viable. If you use your personal page as a means to network and connect with new people, then, yes, you should definitely be open to connecting with friends of friends. However, many people, including myself, like to keep our personal Facebook accounts for private use only. That being said, I am easily accessible on all other platforms.
This is the first step. If this is successful, it is now easy to push them or invite them to like the business page. And if they do, every Ads posted in the business page will surely appear in their news feed.
It is possible also to get more connection using personal Facebook account by advertising the business page in every Facebook groups we’re involved.
Great post Jenn. In facebook, some users doesn’t respond to the strangers, and they don’t accept friend request because they are thinking it’s a scam.
But to make a wide connection, it is wise to connect the friend of our friends so that they can see that this stranger has many mutual friend with them. And they will surely think that this stranger is reliable.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Depending on how you use your Facebook page, your suggestion could definitely by viable. If you use your personal page as a means to network and connect with new people, then, yes, you should definitely be open to connecting with friends of friends. However, many people, including myself, like to keep our personal Facebook accounts for private use only. That being said, I am easily accessible on all other platforms.
This is the first step. If this is successful, it is now easy to push them or invite them to like the business page. And if they do, every Ads posted in the business page will surely appear in their news feed.
It is possible also to get more connection using personal Facebook account by advertising the business page in every Facebook groups we’re involved.