The Canadian Astronaut, Cmdr Chris Hadfield, has now landed safely back on earth having spent 5 months orbiting our great planet and doing a fine rendition of Bowie’s Space Oddity (You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo) before returning.
Whilst in space, he used Social Media channels to its full extent sending down videos and pictures so that we could all share the phenomenon of our planet both by day and the beauty of night too.
He reached nearly 1 million followers on twitter yet this was secondary to his main task of working in the International Space Station.
And this is where the link to this article is formed … Business and Social Media. Whether you like it or not, this is the voice of the people and reaches far beyond any other means of promoting what you do individually and what your business can offer.
Coaching can show you how to communicate effectively but you still need to find the right channel(s) to do this. If this is an area that you’re not familiar or comfortable with, then there are companies that do this and, if required, we can help point you in the direction of one or two.
Here’s just a brief idea of some DOS and AVOIDS for social media in business…
DO… Focus on ‘Which’ will work for you
Think about which of the main networks you choose to use, but which one(s)? As a lead, LinkedIn is the place to showcase the credentials of you and your business to all potential customers and should always be up to date. Twitter should be seen as conversational and offer quick snippets of the latest company news or personal insights. Facebook is about sharing links to pictures, presentations of new products, invitations to events etc. Google+, meanwhile, segments people into groups by their interests and targets them with relevant information.
AVOID… Opening a myriad of accounts
The KISS expression works well here! By keeping it simple, means that you are likely to keep it updated and live. Know where your likely market is to be and concentrate your efforts on these media channels.
DO… Follow your own articles and be sure to respond
If people are interested in what you say or the service/product you are offering, they will write a response to your media post. Consistently responding to these articles is essential. This will impress existing and other readers who have not made comment and re-affirms your place as a leader in this field.
AVOID… Taking negativity to heart
As the expression goes … “You can’t please all of the people, all of the time”. Take note of any negative comments and turn them to your favour. Understand what is being said, look at it for ways to improve your service/product and make sure people know of these positive changes. It shows you are listening and that you want to offer the best that you can!
DO… Be patient
Effective social media strategy requires time. In this age of instantaneity, here we are dealing with the human emotion and not simply selling a product. Resist the natural instinct to see rapid returns. Instead, look at the longer-term picture. Psychologists have commented that the ‘Male’ method of business is a hand-shake and job done whereas ‘Female’ intuition builds long term relationships and repeat businesses … Social media alludes to the latter.
AVOID… Expecting them to do this for nothing
Offering incentives (Obtain free useful information, entry into a prize draw, offer a discount etc) by giving you a ‘like’, or sharing a particular product link, is a way to gain followers.
DO… Use existing followers as advocates
Friends are a great ally to promote your business. New users can be pessimistic about cold contact but that appears to ease if contact is passed on via a friend. 38% of Facebook users would be more likely to become a fan of a brand on the network if they saw that a family member or friend had done so! Therefore, ask existing contacts to recommend you by giving you a ‘like’ on your business profile. (on that subject, please pass this link and ask people to subscribe, to people you know so that they too can experience these blogs)
If you are one of those forward thinking individuals or companies who can see the benefits of Social Media but need some assistance with the delivery, take the first step by speaking to someone who can help. Call us to arrange a free consultation by contacting Neil (07761 187238) or throw us an email at info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk. We’re here to help, after all … Our business is YOUR success.
