community Archives - The Social Media Advisor

June 5, 2018
Social Media Marketing

#GrowYourBusiness – Providing Value to Your Social Media Audience

If you are like most social media managers, your first goal is to create content that will get your audience to engage. Share, likes, and comments are all good as gold regardless of the platform. The only problem with using engagement as your key objective is that you have to get people to see your content first. After all, you can’t get engagement if you don’t get views. What’s the best way to ensure that your content gets seen? Make sure you are providing value to your audience.

Let’s think for a minute about what it means to add value. When it comes to social media content, providing value means giving your audience something they can’t get anywhere else. Exactly what that is will depend on your particular circumstance but let’s talk about the top 5 ways you give your users value through social media, regardless of your product or service.

Solve a Problem: When you solve a problem for your audience, you are making their lives better and perhaps removing an obstacle that is preventing them from achieving their own goals. There are many ways to create content that solves problems. A how-to can be a great way to do this but so can an answer to a question, a product discount, or an informative product review.
Tell A Story: Storytelling is a great way to help your audience learn more about you, your company, and your products. Success stories, stories that give insight into your mission, profiles of your team or your customers, can all help your audience learn more about your and add value.
Make Something That is Complicated Simple: Infographics and lists are particularly good ways to turn difficult topics into something that is easily understood. While technical content lends itself well to this type of content, your subject doesn’t have to be technical. A description of a process can also work well in graphic or some other easy to follow format.
Teach: Common questions that users have can be fertile territory for developing content that will teach a lesson about your industry, your product, or your company. How-to videos can be particularly good for this along with solving problems.
Ask Your Community What They Need: Of course we should know our customers well enough to anticipate what type of content will bring them the most value but sometimes it’s still best to go straight to the source. Reach out to your audience to ask them what they need. You might be surprised what you’re missing.

Developing content that gives your friends, fans, and followers value may take a little work, but it is sure to pay off. Once your community learns that the information you provide will make their lives easier, they are sure to come back for more. They are also like to pass it along to others. Providing value to your followers will pay off in spades in terms of brand loyalty, trust, and online presence.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

February 13, 2018
Social Engagement

#SharetheLove – Are You Responding in Your Social Media? Give Praise to Your Cheerleaders!

It’s pretty exciting when the likes and comments start rolling in on your social media posts, especially if they are complementary. After all, isn’t that why you post? To engage with your community?

You probably answered yes–but here’s another question for you. Are you really engaging with your audience? Whether you are using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, you are only half done once you hit that button to post. The important part is what you do next—the response.

In order to take full advantage of social media, you need to have a two-way conversation. You expect your followers to engage so you need to do the same. Think of it this way: those who respond to your posts are your cheerleaders. They know who you are and they can be your best advocates. But you need to let them know that you hear what they are saying and that you appreciate it. In other words, you need to give praise to your cheerleaders. Here are four foolproof ways that you can make sure that you are letting your social media universe know that you appreciate them.

Always respond.

While you don’t have to acknowledge every like or follow, you should respond to every comment that requires a response. Keep it brief, on point, and appreciative. If you have lots of comments you can prepare some ready-made responses to use when appropriate. Videos, gifs, and images can all be strategic tools in letting your community know you are engaged with them.

Keep it positive.

Face it: not all of your commenters will think you’re a 10. That’s ok. There is always the chance that someone will be less than pleased. You, however, always need to be positive. If it’s a problem you can fix, do your best to do that. Remember to follow-up to make sure that the problem is taken care of.

Be consistent.

If you go from master poster to radio silence, your followers will be confused. Respond on a regular basis and stick to a schedule. Carving out a particular time of day or day of the week for responding can help you stay on track.

Be grateful.

You may not know each of your followers personally but they are just like everyone else. They want to be appreciated. Regardless of the type of feedback they provide, say thank you. Look for appropriate ways to return the favor. Perhaps send a commenter a link to a helpful article, run a special promotion for those who are active on your page, or add a positive review on their page.

Socialmedia can be much more than just a way to get the word out about your business. When you engage with your audience you can create a virtual community. Even if someone never buys a product or sends you a referral, they can be a valuable resource. Take a few minutes to let them know that you are glad they are there.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

September 19, 2017
Social Media Training

#LearningIsAwesome – Roundtables & Masterminds

We all know that networking is vital to any business but did you know that it is even more important to network with people outside of your industry? Expanding your networking to professionals in different industries opens up a new world of knowledge and insight that you might not otherwise get. These professionals might have insight on things you are currently experiencing in your work, or may experience in the future. We recommend having monthly roundtables with professionals from different industries and here’s why:

Share Your Successes

It can be hard to share successes with professionals in the same field as you because of jealousy or competition. If you share your professional journey with an expert in a different field, they can understand and relate to your happiness. When you collaborate with other professionals, you create a professional relationship centered around supporting one another and celebrating when success arises.

Collaborate on New Ideas

Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to shed new light on a project or idea. It’s easy to get so stuck in your own industry that you aren’t able to see the overall impact of a new idea. Someone in a different professional field can offer the fresh perspective you need to fully develop your new idea (better yet, maybe they have an idea you’ve never even thought of!).

Give Referrals to Other Industries

By meeting experts in different fields, you can learn more about what they do and maybe even refer their services to your friends and families. Networking referrals don’t work very well when you only know professionals in your field because you don’t want to refer someone to your competition. By meeting experts in other industries, you can have a more rounded and holistic referral group and get more referrals in return.

Getting insight from a mastermind of professionals in other industries by sharing in monthly roundtables is a great way to expand your knowledge and enhance what you can offer to your clients. Do these work for you? Have any experience in peer groups, masterminds or roundtables? Tell us how they helped you #BeAwesome with your work!

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

April 18, 2017
Relationship Marketing

#AuthenticallyAwesome – Creating Authentic Partnerships

Those of us who own businesses tend to spend a lot of our networking time seeking out new leads and potential clients. I can hear you now, “Isn’t that the purpose of networking?” Absolutely. However, if you are only seeking out new clients at these functions you are missing out on the valuable opportunity of building your list of power partners. What is a power partner, you ask? This articlehas a great definition and some examples of what makes a power partner. Basically, this type of partnership involves small business owners that share your same goals, have a similar target audience, would not be considered competition, and that you can trust.

An important part of building your tribe includes beefing up your list of power partners. This sort of professional relationships is quite symbiotic and allows both parties to benefit and support one another without stepping on each other’s “turf.”

While building a professional tribe may seem daunting and will require some practice, courage, and risk, once the relationship with your tribe has been established, it can be satisfying and mutually beneficial. So how do you start?

Being Vulnerable

No, this does not mean that you have to share every personal thing going on in your life. This means that you need to show that you are just as human – even the flaws and accomplishments – as the next person. Don’t use jargon and big words in your communications just because you can – you aren’t trying to impress, you are trying to build a tribe built on trust and common goals. Answer emails and texts as soon as you are able – even if it’s just to say “I got your message and I will get back to you.”

Just be you. This blatant authenticity will allow others to feel more comfortable around you and develop trust that will result in growing a tribe of Power Partners. Yes, there will be those who reject who you are but no one needs that kind of negative energy within their tribe anyway. By allowing yourself to be open and vulnerable, the right people will be more drawn to your energy and will want to get to know you better.

Know Your Limitations

When the value of your time is taken into consideration, size does matter. Studies show that most people can efficiently maintain up to 15 close relationships – this includes both personal and professional. Determine the relationships you value most and build those. Making your professional tribe too large can lead to less attention being paid to important details needed to maintain the mutually beneficial relationship. The synergy developed by a tribe allows them to create something bigger and stronger than anything that could be created individually.

Share Your Human Capital

The biggest way to build trust is to give more than you expect – this can be done by offering your unique skills to those within your tribe, helping others build their own connections that will benefit both parties, or just being a receptive ear when it is needed. This help will not always be free, but it will earn the trust and respect from the members in your tribe. Sharing your experiences and wisdom gained shows others that you are willing to put yourself out there to support them with what you have learned. Share the human capital you have gained to help others. In return your tribe will step up to help you in times of need.

Give Credit

The need for recognition is just as large a part of human nature as wanting to belong to a tribe of like-minded people. Giving credit where credit is due may seem like a small thing, but it can build confidence and comfort. Creating an environment where your tribe members feel comfortable being themselves while also creating an environment of trust and support.

Share the Wealth

In addition to boosting confidence, it is important to keep in mind ways that making new connections is a priority for people when networking. Assisting those within your tribe with desirable referrals that will be mutually beneficial can lead to good things for all parties. Create these relationships not for your benefit, but because you know it will benefit the parties involved. The goodwill that you are creating will make your tribe stronger.

Social Media Features

Social media is a good tool to build the bridges vital for business success and can yield some unexpected tribe members. Featuring your power partners in your social media on a regular basis is a great way to support them and showcase their value to you. With any luck, they will reciprocate and share your information with their target audience as well. This is just one example (a very important one) of how creating authentic partnerships is healthy for everyone involved.

Building these authentic partnerships from your tribe may not be easy, and will definitely require a willingness to give more than you expect to receive. However, building a strong tribe and working on meaningful connections through social media and in person will bring out the best in both you and your tribe. Plus, you will stand out as a shining example of how to #BeAwesome while networking and growing your professional community.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

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#AuthenticallyAwesome – Creating Authentic Partnerships

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