Sometimes you hear something online that is so out of line, so ridiculous, so stupid that you wonder if the person who said it was joking. But if you’re like me, I start asking all the right questions that get me where I need to be in my business when things like this come up.
A few months ago I heard a very popular business person say these words: “What the hell are you spending all that time on Facebook for? Go build your business.”
It made me laugh actually. Because you see, last year I started a little trial with some social media marketing. He earned me a nice 6 figure income for 12 months. Then we improved it a bit and started ramping up our efforts. This year alone, in less than 7 months, that amount has doubled.
But let me make one thing very clear: You do NOT make a 6-figure income on social media playing Farmville or Yoville or Craphead or any of those other online games. These were created by very clever marketers to appeal to people who have too much time on their hands or are trying to block out some time in real life.
Before you send me hate mail about that statement, look at it this way: If you haven’t earned at least a 6-figure income from your online business, you’re trading game time for dollars. It’s as simple as that. Unless you’re earning an income for every hour you spend online playing those games, get rid of them now. In my opinion, they are worse than television and much more addictive.
But what about the core of social networks? How can you use this valuable channel and capitalize on it for your business?
In his bestseller, “Socialnomics,” Erik Qualman describes who is using social media to do more than just marketing in our culture today. People like Barack Obama have used social media to connect with people he never had before. Tony Robbins gains insight into where his customers are today and is able to meet his current needs with regular interaction.
What about a small business owner trying to break into the online marketplace? How can Social Networks help you?
Let’s look at the impact social media is having on marketing, advertising, and other ways people connect online.
1. An extremely successful copywriter who wrote a brilliant article about how he thought social media was rubbish and had no intention of getting involved in 2009, now uses social media regularly in his internet campaigns.
2. While search engines used to be the main tool to use when looking for information or feedback on something, social media is now an instant provider of information. It’s no wonder that Facebook overtook Google about 6 months ago and is still leading the pack for the most popular sites on the Internet.
3. Colleges are now adopting Social Meida to bring roommates together, provide information on specific degrees and trends for the highest paying jobs. It is also being used as a tool within the classroom. College professors can conduct surveys, interact with students, build a community, and even direct students to potential employers as they get closer to graduation. Advertising for this crowd? Enter the social networks.
4. Social media marketing is a hot topic at most internet and offline marketing events. Guest speakers are often “social media” experts who have mastered how to use this tool for your business. (This tells you that this is not a trend but a change in the way business is done in the marketing world!)
5. Newspaper and magazine ads are declining, while social media marketing, PPC spend, and FB ad reports show a steady increase. In Social Media, people no longer look for news, they find it. Key newspaper stats show that ad revenue is plummeting in local newspapers, while PPC ads, free communities and social media groups are booming.
Here are some tips on how to use social networks, make them your slave and do not stay spending hours and hours online without earning money.
1. Focus on connecting with people and bringing them valuable content. Be personal and add value. People will connect with you because of what you give them. To build fast followers, do your best every day. Go ahead and make a list of the things you want to talk about each week if you have to, but don’t take any chances, don’t just post personal stuff, and don’t think your audience will put up with anything. (Read my previous article on how to create a quick response to your subscription for more information on this topic)
2. Talk to people and don’t AT them. The age of network marketing and the alpha syndrome of door-to-door salespeople are gone. Bye! People no longer respect people who just talk to them and tell them what to do. They are looking for someone to connect with. Social Media creates this connection in a way that no other channel or medium will. Respect your audience, let them disagree with you, be who you are, and let them be who they are. Build a community and people will follow you forever.
3. Bring your personal life into the mix. This is something I discovered online in 1998 when our cookware business was growing rapidly. People want to connect with real people. Don’t position yourself as someone who has ALL the answers and lives the PERFECT life and has everything color coordinated and organized and perfectly clean in their closets, but be someone people can relate to. Share your life, share how you live and inspire others. I learn as much from those who have a relationship with me through Social Networks as they do from me. It is a wonderfully beneficial relationship. Ironically, it’s one of my biggest USPs that can’t be copied, but can be captured. Be yourself, be real and you will have clients that will make your life a great joy!
4. Serve and stay in it for the long term. In a recent call I had with Ryan Lee, he said that he was very happy to see that I had support tools for my clients, like our Forever WordPress community. When he heard that I meet LIVE with my clients on the phone for an hour every week to answer their questions, serve them and build a community with them, he said he was glad I wasn’t just ‘one more internet marketer who doesn’t really care’ . Building his business with the long term in mind will make it one of the best things he has ever done. This is why it is so important to have a mission statement.
MaryEllen Tribby mentored me for 90 days earlier this summer. One of the BIGGEST lessons she taught me and is helping me make a practice of in my business is having a mission statement. This is the plumb line when it comes to JV relationships, changes in our marketing, change in focus, and our daily activities. Make a mission statement with the long-term vision in mind. This will protect you when Internet Pimps come out and compliment you on all the ‘great’ things they can do with you and for you. Here’s a hint that you’ve been duped: They encourage you to leave everything behind and follow your dream right where THEY are. A true business partner will have your mission in mind as they look to help you and help you grow. Having this statement and vision in place will protect you from such vultures.
Social media is a place to build a relationship and connect with your customers on a daily basis. To avoid burnout and keep things manageable, use some of the following tools to make life easier:
1. Hootsuite: Pre-schedule tweets and posts to coincide with your marketing calendar. I don’t recommend pre-scheduling everything, but when you have particularly busy days, use this to stay on track and keep the conversation flowing. You can easily keep track of mentions, RTs, and what others are saying about your business.
2. Friend or Follow – This is a great tool to use! You will be able to see who doesn’t follow you on Twitter, who YOU don’t follow and find out who your mutual friends are! I used this tool during our recent 12 hour giveaway! It made it easy to scroll through large groups of supporters and pick an award winner.
Giving away just those two tools will upset some people. Every time I write a newsletter, some smart guy emails or DMs me and asks what the hell I think I’m doing by giving all that stuff away. I recently received an email advising me to keep such content in my classes or private events.
It just goes to show you what I mean by GIVING the best of you. But let me make this very clear… those who attend our live event will find out how much MORE we have to share! This is not even half of what we are using and doing which has given us a serious understanding of how to monetize your efforts through social media. The big ‘reveal’ will take place in Indianapolis, IN on September 17-18.
Remember this: your customers and prospects are smart. They are intelligent. They are not dough heads. Anyone still using the same marketing strategies they used back in 1978 at their Toast Masters gathering thinking they can still surprise and impress their audience is struggling to make a profit in today’s marketing culture.
Social media is a viable channel, a hugely profitable tool and one you should NOT be messing with. For serious gains, it’s time to master this one. And… make him your slave!