If you are either a current client or a frequent reader of the articles I have written, you have come to understand that I have several mantras that I put forth when it comes to the topic of social media marketing.
But there is one that is above all others...
People like to do business with those they know, like and trust! Like a lot of things, it sounds easy, but may not be simple to do.
And when I put forth that comment to current and prospective clients alike, they say something to the effect of...
"OK, I get that.
But HOW do I do that?" It is a fair question and the answer is critical as traditional advertising is giving away more and more to what Chris Brogan would term "Trust Agents" in his latest book with the same name.
After all, how do you espouse all of those qualities and still have time to run your business? Not to worry.
We can help you sort through it.
As such, I thought we might take a few minutes to explore just how that can be achieved with just YOUR efforts.
How do people get to "know you"?

• Be consistent with your picture! (noticing a theme here?) What better way to get to know someone than to see their face.
  That's where gravatar can be a help.
  When you change your picture there, all of the links from the comments and posts you made update automatically.
  I also recommend a head shot as the pics are generally so small, that the details aren't picked up from a full body photo.
  
• Create all of your social networking site profiles with consistentcy! (noticing a theme here?) If you don't have any profiles currently, start with the basics of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
  Prior to doing that, I might go to gravatar.
  com so that when you comment or post, your picture will show up.
  The very first customer I had came to me as a result of not how good I was, but that it seemed like I was everywhere.
  
• Use video.
  This could also fit into the "how do people get to like you" as well.
  
• Relationship before business.
  Warren Buffet and the Japanese culture do business from the point that they like to do become friends and perhaps a business relationship will come out of that.
  Buffet's saying is that he prefers friends whom he does business with rather than people he does business with becoming friends.
  As such, your first interaction with anyone should not be to tell them about a great deal you are offering.
  

Creating the "like you" aspect...

• Be authentic.
  Connie Ragen Green wrote something that I believe to this day.
  Write and act the same way every day.
  Don't try to be someone else.
  Let YOUR voice come out.
  Eventually, it will find an audience it will resonate with.
  
• Listen and be helpful.
  Have you ever been to a party where someone did all of the talking and didn't let anyone else speak? Just like at the party, that doesn't go over well online.
  Have a dialogue with people and listen to what people have to say.
  Don't be so busy thinking about the next thing you want to spit out of your mouth.
  Listen to what the other side is saying and think about it for more than a mili-second.
  Then, after you have listened, try to be helpful in solving people's challenges.
  This simple act will make you more friends than you know.
  
• More on be helpful.
  If you follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn, my first response is to generally ask you to tell me more about you and my last sentence is almost always verbatim...
  "More importantly, tell me what I can do to help support your efforts for success!" You would be surprised at the answers and the relationships that have developed as a result.
  Try it.
  
• Talk at the same level as your reader.
  This goes to the know who you are speaking with level of dialogue.
  Don't talk overly above or below.
  Just try to talk at the same level they are at and can understand.
  Failure to do so will probably reduce the likability factor.
  
• Be positive and professional.
  We all have the opportunity to be snarky.
  Try to resist that temptation.
  Think about how you feel when someone treats you poorly.
  Conversely, let the law of attraction work in your favor with a positive outlook.
  

Getting them to "trust you"...

• Let's start with the premise that they first have to know and like you before they can even think about trusting you.
  
• Trust is earned..
  especially on the internet.
  We have become so jaded with hype that you have to accept the fact that trust comes over time, but consistency in the other areas will help to speed the process.
  
• Be accountable.
  Don't make excuses or say you forgot.
  Recently, I had someone tell me they "forgot about calling me".
  Well guess how I felt about doing business with them.
  My first thought is if this is how they treat me as a prospect, how are they going to treat me as a customer?
• Finish.
  This term has become so clear to me for a lot of reasons over the last year.
  Some might term it follow up, or contact them regularly.
  However you term it, don't leave gaps in your communication or in your side of the action item slate.
  
• Deliver great value! If you produce results that are more than you promised, chances are the next time they are looking for your good or service, they are going to come to you.
  

Keep in mind that like many things, this is a process and may take some time.
I tell people who I consult on becoming an authority in their niche when they ask how long this takes.
My response is this...
"This is a process that you have to follow in order.
Just because you want a baby, you can't go out and get 9 woman pregnant and then expect the baby one month later" The fact that it takes a little time for this process to play out is actually a great thing.
Because many folks may do the "know you" and some may do the "like you" phases, few will get to trust you as they will just quit.
Your social media marketing success is a process.
And you have to honor that and those that abide by it.