If you are interested in learning how to use social media for business purposes you should have a look at this series of free videos from Don Crowther, noted social media consultant and trainer.
One of the videos in this series is called The 8 Rules for Social Media Success, and unlike many videos of this sort which are just disguised pitches for an expensive product, this one has no pitch. Because you have to sign up (with your email address) to see the video, the pitches will come later.
Here is a short summary of the “8 Rules” presented in the video:
1. Focus on a narrow target audience. That means focus your posted content on your niche, as well as your incentives. For example, offering an iPad to sign up is too generic and will result in getting followers who have no real interest in your product or service. It is better to offer a free report or a discount on your product/service.
2. Focus on CONTENT rather than CONVERSATION. Many people think lots of chatter on Facebook, for example, is somehow valuable for their business goals. It isn’t. Offer interesting and helpful content and conversation will follow.
3. Be everywhere your audience is. Not just Facebook. Not just Linkedin. Not just Youtube. Not just Twitter. You need a regular, unique presence on all these sites. And not just these mainstream sites. There are often niche sites where the conversation is more focused and there is a greater concentration of specific interests. Don uses the example of “knitters”. There are lots of them on Facebook, but there are even more on a niche site devoted only to knitters and knitting.
4. Integrate your social media presence. Develop a unique presence on each site (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, niche sites) and inter-relate them. Share content from one to the other and link from one to the other. This does NOT mean auto-posting the same content to all your accounts. One of the best ways to do this is to use your blog as the anchor for your content, and link from your other media to your blog posts.
5. Do not forget your PROFILE. You have a profile in each of your accounts. Make sure you fill it out completely and make sure it says what you want it to say. Visitors and potential contacts or customers look at your profile to decide if they want to follow you. The search engines also love profiles.
6. Post consistently. Post to all your accounts on a regular basis, and keep the theme of the content consistent too.
7. Post throughout the day. Different people visit social sites at different times. Some recent studies claim to show the best times of the day and/or week to post (3 pm and weekends).
8. Make sure you blog regularly. Your blog should be the anchor of your social media presence. It is where you can go into depth. Link to your blog content to create social media posts.
That’s it. All good points and good advice, although I think it might look a bit overwhelming to an entrepreneur or company just starting into SM. The underlying point not mentioned in these points is:
Assume social media can work for you, and budget accordingly. If you have a realistic budget for your social media “campaigns” you will be able to outsource a good deal of the work.
