Business owners’ opinion of social media falls in one of two camps: they either embrace it with fervor or they are completely mystified that any one finds any value whatsoever in social media.
It is to the second group, the incredulous business owner that I write. Based on the number of times I’m asked to speak to groups on the topic or explain it one on one – I know you are not alone.
Suspend judgment for a couple minutes and hang with me for a couple of paragraphs.
Who Matters in Your B2B Marketing World?
A short list of who matters in your B2B marketing world includes clients, prospects, referral partners and journalists. These are the people you should be following on social media. Suddenly a tweet about the virtues of coffee won’t irritate you if coming from that show case account you’d like to close.
My advice to business owners is to clean out your social media accounts and look to follow the people that matter to you. Google+ allows you to set up circles. So you could have a circle for clients, a circle for prospects, a circle for your referral partners and a circle for journalists who cover your industry and local market.
Hopefully, when you follow one of these key contacts, they will follow you in return. Suddenly, when your Twitter timeline, LinkedIn updates, and Google+ are filled with the updates of the people who matter most to your business – a more meaning social media experience can happen. From the comfort of your desk, in between phone calls you can check in and see who is online and posting.
Another Way to Be Present When There Is a Moment of Truth
In addition to responding (when appropriate) and monitoring the updates of your key audiences, you have a chance to post updates. That means your avatar face or company logo is popping up in their timelines and streams. You might post a link to a new blog article on your website, or a link to a press release, or share an article you found interesting.
The idea is that you are a regular, active participant. They begin to see you on a regular basis in addition to your phone calls or face-to-face meetings. Your regular participation means that you will be more visible when you key audience members have a moment of truth.
A moment of truth could come when a prospect, who has been limping along with manual processes, finally hits a wall and decides that they need your products and services. A moment of truth could be when one of your referral partners returns from a meeting with one of their clients and realizes that they could refer you to help solve the problem the client was sharing with them. A moment of truth could come when a journalist posts a need to talk to someone who has an expertise in your area. You’re in a position to respond quickly.
Put that way – does social media appear to have a bit more upside? I sure hope so.
The next step is learning how to use the tools and how to manage your time on the platforms and how to find the people you want to follow. There are tons of “How To” videos online that can help you. But if you would like more personalized help, I offer online private lessons. Each lesson is customized for you and is $49.99 per one hour lesson. Using Go-To-Meeting I will walk you through the set up of your account, creating a strong profile, tips for finding the right people to follow and tips on posting.
The people that have taken advantage of the private lessons have shared that it has saved them countless hours in trial and error. Many have attempted to use these tool before and given up. In many cases, one session is all that is needed. If you are interested in saving time and staying top of mind with your key audiences through social media, email me at dawn@dawnwesterberg.com.
Great, thoughtful post Dawn! I need to read this again and again when I’m feeling “burdened” by social media!
Thanks for the comment Lois – you hang in there!