What Do I Say?
Businesses are increasingly looking to social media as a way to reach their current and potential customers. According to the Society of Digital Agencies’ highly though-provoking and information-rich 2010 Digital Marketing Outlook report, 50% of brand executives will be shifting funds from traditional to digital media, and over 87% percent say that social media is either important or a top priority in 2010.
While it’s encouraging to see that so many companies are focusing on social media, I have spoken to many business owners and marketers who are still trying to figure out both the “art” and the “mechanics” of social engagement. In fact, the most common question I have heard is, “What do I say?”
There’s no simple answer to that question. “It depends” isn’t a good answer, but it is an honest answer. There are a lot of conversations happening out there, and businesses want to tap into them and start engaging consumers. And the best advice I have to give them is to become a member of the community you serve. How?
Find conversations that surround common interests or categories that intersect with the products you offer–food, camping, coffee, shoes, dogs, children, home improvement, music, skiing, vertical window blinds. Whatever it is, someone is interested in talking about it.
Engage directly with those who are speaking. Follow them on Twitter. Send them an @reply regarding the post that drew your attention. Comment on their blog. Make this first outreach a comment about what they have expressed–NOT about you, your products, your capabilities. Your initial outreach will make this contact aware of your brand, your company and of you as a person. Your interest in them brings you a first “soft” opportunity to make a brand impression on a potential customer.
Post interesting content. Did you publish an article about matching window treatments to specific types of decor on your website? Do you have a new recipe for bruschetta using your specialty vinegar? Did you find an interesting article about new testing procedures for people who have food allergies and think others would find it valuable? Did you discover a great place to go camping? Tweet it. Include a trackable link. See how many people click through, retweet, or even start following you as a result. Continue to put out interesting content.
Don’t forget your goals. While being a part of the community is important, your goal is to turn those conversations into customers. It’s OKAY to say, “We have a gluten-free product that you might like.” But make sure that ALL your outreach and conversations don’t have this same demeanor. An easy way to do this is to use a standard ratio of conversation (all about you) to marketing (promoting me); Chris Brogan likes to use a 12:1 ratio. That works for me!
The next most common question I have heard is, “How do I find these conversations?” We’ll cover that in the next blog post.
