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How to Attract Followers Via Social Media
April 22, 2013 |Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
I hear this one all the time: “I've signed up and opened an account with LinkedIn or Facebook..but, how do I act? What should I do? How does it work?” Easy. Here are five guidelines to help you attract a following on any social media network.
Complete Your Profile
When you meet or talk to someone on a social network, the first thing they want to do is check out your profile. They want a sense of you as a person. In particular, they want to know if you are trustworthy and credible. Having a professional looking profile starts you off on the right foot. Put down the information that your followers would be looking for and are interested in. That means things like relevant experience. And avoid rookie mistakes like not having a photo. Studies show that having no photo makes you appear less trustworthy. Don’t put down information that is too personal, it can distract readers from the professional you. Don’t make claims that sound far fetched, even if they are true. If you work at a 500 employee company, implying you were solely responsible for the the 20% increase in sales last year may not cast yourself in the best light, even if it was your brilliance that did it. Remember, you have to appear credible.
No Sales Pitches
This is a very tough concept for most salespeople to absorb. Use social media to meet people. Talk to them about their problems; help them; provide value; and establish your credibility. Claiming you have the best quality doesn’t establish credibility. Having a deep discussion about the other person’s problems with getting quality parts along with some suggestions they might try? That does establish your credibility. Social media is all about building relationships, not cramming product.
Use Common Sense
No badmouthing: Don’t talk down your competition, the other person’s competition, user groups, your company, the other person’s company--no one.
Don't use inappropriate language. Some social networks pick up four-letter-words and will toss you for it. And it’s pretty embarrassing explaining to your customers that you aren’t allowed to play any more because you used a bad word.
Don't discuss divisive topics. Steer clear of politics, religion, and social issues. If you talk about how much you love Obama, you may alienate half of your audience.
Everything you do and say in social media is saved on a server somewhere and, often, that server is searchable. For example, I know how to find conversations that took place on a couple of social networks five years ago. If you wouldn’t be proud of something being out there for all posterity, don’t say it (Hint: This ability really comes in handy when you want to find all the people that talked about a problem you could solve for them in the past five years).
Check In Regularly
You develop relationships through regular interaction. That means you have to show up regularly. If you wonder why you aren't developing any relationships with people in a LinkedIn group, perhaps it's because you never contribute anything to that group. There’s a reason it’s called “social.”
Be a Thought Leader
Be the source that your followers want to come back to--read about the industry. Read about the competition. Find out what’s new. Follow thought leaders. I follow approximately 180 blogs, newsletters, and websites and it takes me three hours every day to check them all. Every single day. But I know everything that is happening in social media. That’s how you become a thought leader. I’m committed to knowing as much as I can for the people I work with.
Before long, you will become the thought leader. And when your followers need help, who will they turn to? Someone credible they already have a relationship with. Someone who has taken an interest in their problems in the past. Someone they know as a thought leader in the field--a forward thinker. Someone like you.Bruce Johnston is a sales consultant specializing in social media. He has over 25 years' experience in high-tech sales and management, most recently as general manager of a PCB manufacturer. He can be reached through his website www.practicalsmm.com or through his profile on LinkedIn.