There are many out there that might have you believe that Social Media Marketing success is some sort of magic. There are definitely some advanced tactics out there, and depending on what you’re trying to accomplish there can even be some serious complexities, as it relates to the technology.
But, if we assume that that for most people, the goal is to open up more business opportunities, then for the vast majority of people, there is a simple strategy–and accompanying tactic–that will undeniably improve their business results.
This is a technique I’ve used for most of my career, and I can assure you that it works.
Before I tell you about it, I want to be clear that this is a strategy for people selling services, or high ticket cost products.
Here’s how it works…
SOCIAL Media Strategy
The two critical components of social media are people and media / content.
If you want to succeed in social media, it’s much easier to focus on the people than it is to focus on the media. Content is a tough game, and it’s a crowded one. But connecting with people, if you do it right, is a much more predictable path to opportunity.
The strategy is: make contact with and keep in touch with the maximum number of people.
Transform Idle Connections Into Opportunity
Repeat after me:
“Hey, you popped into my head a few days ago. What you’ve been up to? How are things? I would love to catch up with you over coffee.”
From there, it’s simply a matter of catching up, making sure people know what you do, and being clear with what you’re trying to accomplish…but that has nothing to do with social media. That’s on YOU.
This strategy will only work, if you’ve got a great product or service, and you can explain why someone might need it. But, that could be said of any strategy. You can’t just wrap up a turd 💩 with a bow and call it cake 🍰.
- Yes, we can call this a tactic.
- Yes, it may seem obvious.
But, when is the last time that you did this? Furthermore, when is the last time you made this a regular part of your routine?
There are no “self-made” people in this world. Every single person is the product of their efforts AND their relationships. The expression “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is a good guide for how to approach social media.
So here’s the strategy…
- Find someone you haven’t talked to in a little bit
- Follow them on social media
- Look into what they’ve been up to
- Send a message
You can send them a message via Facebook Messenger, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter, or even email. I use Contactually (a CRM) to manage my relationships and it lets me know how long it’s been since I talked with someone.
But here’s the REAL lesson…
Don’t over complicate things.
Social media can, and should, be used as a communication tool, and a research tool.
Focus on people. Get to work.