One of the things I love about teaching is seeing the light bulb go on in the ‘student’s’ eyes. That moment when you know they get it. That’s why I always try really hard to keep my advice simple and easy to understand. We techie people tend to speak in a language that non-techie people don’t often understand, so I work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.
So in my attempt to ‘keep it simple stupid’, let me boil down to 2 things what you need to be focused on with your social media outreach. My blog is filled with all sorts of advice and lists of things ‘to do’, but if I had to pick just 2 pieces of advice for you to follow, this would be it. Do these 2 things, using whatever technology works for you, and you’ll be a success no matter what your business.
1. Engage their hearts.
I tell everyone who will listen that ‘social media isn’t about the media, it’s about the social‘. Technology will change, but connecting with people will never go out of style. Find a way to make a connection with someone and you’ll make a friend. Make a friend, and they will look to you when they need whatever it is that you offer. My local bank doesn’t always have the best deals. But when I need banking services I go to my local banker because he knows me. He is my friend. My local stores don’t always offer the best prices. But when I need to get my car worked on I do it locally with the guy who knows me and my car, even if he is higher priced than someone out of town.
Engaging hearts is about building stronger relationships with your constituents. And even if you never do business with them, at the very least you’ll have a friend!
2. Engage their minds.
One of the reasons social media is so popular today is that it empowers people. If you want to find out what is going on, even in your local community, just get on Facebook. We have more information at our fingertips than ever before. So if you get involved in social media, then you need to contribute to the ‘greater good’ by providing relevant, helpful information to people. You need to participate in the community you are trying to build. And you need to engage people’s minds. Give them information to make their lives better, richer, and fuller.
Here’s a simple example. If you own an exercise gym, then you need to be providing information and ideas for ‘workouts at home’. What? That sounds crazy, right? No, not really. Think about it. If a person follows your advice and works out at home, where are they gonna go if they want to take it to the next level and start using some serious equipment? Yep, to your place. What if they use your advice and try working out at home and just can’t get it together and decide to get serious about it and join a gym. Where are they gonna go? Yeah, you get it. Give without expecting anything in return, and it will pay off in the end. Trust me.
The key word in both of those is ‘engage’. In fact, maybe we should call it ‘social engagement’ instead of ‘social media’. Hey, I like that. I think I’ll start using it.
