In a previous post I discussed five guidelines a business should follow when it comes to engaging in social media.
They are question, plan, location, test, and measure.
In the coming posts I will be discussing each of them in greater detail.
This post will focus on the questions you need to ask yourself and your business before you begin.
It makes you have to justify your existence in social media.
It puts you on the spot and can make you feel narcissistic in answering.
Yet, in its answer you will find the foundation for your social media plan and how you will measure your success/failure.
When you started your business you asked yourself the same question.
Slightly different in its wording - Why would anyone buy your product/services? - but basically the same.
I am sure you answered that question with a burning passion to fulfill the unmet needs of your customers.
Only you could make them be better off.
You must have the same faith in yourself in engaging in social media.
You have a profound message and that those who listen to you will be better persons, will learn something new, will find answers to their questions, etc.
My client Rocky Mountain Roots knows that their services will lead their customers to lead healthier lives.
They know that their community has a few misunderstandings when it comes to alternative medicine.
So my clients engage their community to educate them.
They hold the passionate belief that they are the best people to educate their community.
That is their why.
What will yours be?
Your voice is how you will write, post, tweet, and otherwise engage with your audience.
You need to determine what your voice is going to be and make sure that it is consistent across all social media networks your are engaging in.
Typically most businesses engage in the third person as their voice.
This only gives credence that companies are cold faceless entities that care little for their customers' needs/complaints.
It is best to have a first person voice.
Speaking in the first person has to match with the social media persona you are going to be using.
The first person creates an individual bond with each person you are engaging with.
They feel as if they are speaking with a real person as opposed to a faceless entity.
Understand that you will not please everyone.
That is okay, because pleasing everyone pleases no one.
So define your voice that best represents your business and make sure that it is personal.
Just like in real life.
It is all me, me, me, and more me.
One of the tenets - one would say laws - of social media for businesses is to listen.
The question that needs to be answered is what kind of listening will you do? Will you listen just to customers and potential clients? Will you listen to your markets? Will you listen to your competition? Will you listen to learn? Will you listen to bad/good news? Will you listen to comments about you? The answer should be a resounding "YES!" to all of them.
The great thing about the different social media platforms is that you can set up searches for items you want to know about, keep tabs on, and to educate yourself.
With many social media platforms providing real-time updates, you can passively monitor and listen.
The key to listening is being active in it.
This means that you cannot listen to everything or it becomes white noise.
When you develop your social media plan you will need to identify specifically what it is that you want to listen to.
Therefore you will be more actively engaged and focused on the information that matters to you and your customers the most! HINT: Listening is always about them, never about you.
You will be able to engage your audience and create loyal fans.
You will be in position to outmaneuver your competition and grow your business.
You will become a social media success!
They are question, plan, location, test, and measure.
In the coming posts I will be discussing each of them in greater detail.
This post will focus on the questions you need to ask yourself and your business before you begin.
Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.The Foundation Question Why should anyone listen to you? That is a pretty humbling question.
Tony Robbins
It makes you have to justify your existence in social media.
It puts you on the spot and can make you feel narcissistic in answering.
Yet, in its answer you will find the foundation for your social media plan and how you will measure your success/failure.
When you started your business you asked yourself the same question.
Slightly different in its wording - Why would anyone buy your product/services? - but basically the same.
I am sure you answered that question with a burning passion to fulfill the unmet needs of your customers.
Only you could make them be better off.
You must have the same faith in yourself in engaging in social media.
You have a profound message and that those who listen to you will be better persons, will learn something new, will find answers to their questions, etc.
My client Rocky Mountain Roots knows that their services will lead their customers to lead healthier lives.
They know that their community has a few misunderstandings when it comes to alternative medicine.
So my clients engage their community to educate them.
They hold the passionate belief that they are the best people to educate their community.
That is their why.
What will yours be?
We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.The Voice Question Some confuse this with persona, which is how your network perceives you.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Your voice is how you will write, post, tweet, and otherwise engage with your audience.
You need to determine what your voice is going to be and make sure that it is consistent across all social media networks your are engaging in.
Typically most businesses engage in the third person as their voice.
This only gives credence that companies are cold faceless entities that care little for their customers' needs/complaints.
It is best to have a first person voice.
Speaking in the first person has to match with the social media persona you are going to be using.
The first person creates an individual bond with each person you are engaging with.
They feel as if they are speaking with a real person as opposed to a faceless entity.
Understand that you will not please everyone.
That is okay, because pleasing everyone pleases no one.
So define your voice that best represents your business and make sure that it is personal.
I like to listen.The Listening Question If you have been engaged individually in social media already you know that some people and/or businesses are only focused on themselves.
I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.
Most people never listen.
Ernest Hemingway
Just like in real life.
It is all me, me, me, and more me.
One of the tenets - one would say laws - of social media for businesses is to listen.
The question that needs to be answered is what kind of listening will you do? Will you listen just to customers and potential clients? Will you listen to your markets? Will you listen to your competition? Will you listen to learn? Will you listen to bad/good news? Will you listen to comments about you? The answer should be a resounding "YES!" to all of them.
The great thing about the different social media platforms is that you can set up searches for items you want to know about, keep tabs on, and to educate yourself.
With many social media platforms providing real-time updates, you can passively monitor and listen.
The key to listening is being active in it.
This means that you cannot listen to everything or it becomes white noise.
When you develop your social media plan you will need to identify specifically what it is that you want to listen to.
Therefore you will be more actively engaged and focused on the information that matters to you and your customers the most! HINT: Listening is always about them, never about you.
It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past.Once you have answered these and the other questions mentioned in the previous post, you will have a strong foundation to build a social media strategy and tactical plan.
Karl Von Clausewitz
You will be able to engage your audience and create loyal fans.
You will be in position to outmaneuver your competition and grow your business.
You will become a social media success!
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