To buy or not to buy?

Many people new to the field of social media ask this question... should I buy followers or likes?

You can buy followers and likes, and this can help to get you started. Some people are impressed by numbers and this may encourage them to like or follow you.

But you need to remember, these people may not be interested in what you are saying and they probably won’t respond to your posts. You will find a percentage of them will unfollow you fairly quickly and at worst some may even fill your timeline with spam.

 

 

You attract new followers and fans buy engaging with them and by delivering useful, helpful information. New followers or fans will not stay connected to your accounts if you cannot fulfil this criteria. You can find useful sources for your content on the internet, talk about blogs, articles and other useful tips.

I have been part of a long discussion on this topic on LinkedIn and the majority of social media managers and users agree that buying likes is not the done thing or the way to success. One or two have been in favour but they really are the minority.

If you are looking to build a successful social media profile, remember it will take time and engagement.
 

Where’s the map?

Would you set out on a new journey without checking the map?

How would you know where you are going?

If you want to establish yourself in the world of social media you really need to have a plan.

Who are your target market? Will you find them on social media? Do you need to use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube? What do you want to say to them? How often do you plan to post?

So many questions, you really need a plan. A simple document, outlining a few details will help you stay on track and raise your profile.

Monday – Look for new people to follow. Comment on posts and respond.

Tuesday – Upload an image/video linking to business activity. Comment on posts and respond.

Wednesday – Look for questions to answer. Comment on posts.

Thursday – Comment on posts. Link to topical articles on the web.

Friday – #FF one or two trusted connections. Comment on posts. Close the week with a link to a blog post or to your website, this way if anyone looks you up over the weekend they are directed back to your own material for more information.

It really can be that simple. Give it a try you might just find you are much more productive once you have a plan to stick to.

Let us know how you get on and if you don't have the time then contact us and we can do it for you. @mooddesign

Do you automate?

The thing about social media is that it is social. It’s about people communicating with other people, and for that reason alone you should not automate your communications.

I understand that you may want to thank people for following you and not have the time due to quantities, and in this instance it can be acceptable. However, if you schedule all of your updates, and then you are not online to respond to feedback, people will stop responding.

If I post a question I usually need an answer, those who respond in a timely manner with correct information are valuable connections to have, and those who don’t become less valuable to my network.

I always thank people who respond to my requests, an acknowledgement can go a long way, a timely acknowledgement goes a bit further.

It is impossible to automate your accounts completely, if you don’t have time to manage them then you need to employ a social media account manager, otherwise you may find that you are doing more damage than good to your online reputation.

For more information on social media account management call one of our team on 01925 752500.

What type of social networker are you?

Social networking should be all about building relationships (I wish everyone understood that) with the commerce coming second. To be successful you cannot just shout about what you have to offer, you need to share knowledge and build trust - something that will not happen overnight.  It’s about people and the purpose, not just the tools.

You must be prepared to accept criticism in a positive way, ask how things can be improved, if you can’t do this then maybe social media is not for you.

Social media users come in a variety of forms, some are observers (about 90%) while others are activators. Which social media species are you and which do you want to attract?

Social sloth: Have nothing to do with social networking.

Media meerkat: Will read blogs, watch video, read reviews but not contribute.

Anxious antelope: Will join and maintain a profile of social networking sites. They will network with people that they know and have established relationships with offline.

Wallowing warthog: Will shout about themselves and not listen or engage in conversation with others. Have hit a brick wall and will struggle to progress without new strategies.

Participating parrot: Post ratings and reviews, and will comment on blogs and other peoples posts.

Busy bee: Will actively update their profiles and look for opportunities. They may need to be cautious not to update too regularly as this can discourage communications.

Engaging eagle: Will publish a blog, have a website, create video, write articles and looks to develop a wider network. They will look for people that they can help.

Regardless of which category you fall into, there is still a place in social media for you. You get out what you put in and you can always evolve for the better.

Our Top LinkedIn Tips

According to Wikipedia, as of 22 March 2011, LinkedIn reported more than 100 million registered users, spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide! Quite staggering really!

So, there are many of us registered as users, but are we really getting the most out of it and using it correctly as a professional networking forum? What is holding us back and how can we develop a campaign to raise our profiles and gain interest in our products / services?

We hope that our top tips will help you to evolve your presence and re-adjust how you use the platform.

Complete your profile – make sure your profile is 100% complete and has an up to date professional photograph of you. LinkedIn guide you through this process and tell you which parts are missing.

Personalise your responses and requests – add some personality in your communication, don’t just rely on the automated ones. It shows you’ve taken the time to think about what you’re saying and gives the recipient a better idea of who you are.

Cross-promote your other social media profiles and website – make the most of the free tools and make sure you cover all bases but ensure you vary content to avoid being repetitive. Some people are more active than others on different platforms. Add a LinkedIn icon to your website – makes it far easier for people to find you.

Don’t refer to people you don’t know as a ‘friend’ – when you want to make a connection with someone you don’t know well, don’t refer to them as a friend – they’re not and they won’t take too kindly to it. Try to make contact with them first and ask them if it would be ok to connect with them. Use ‘other’ as an option, but make sure you have their email address to validate it.

Be active – it may seem obvious but some users have 200 connections but don’t do anything with it. Just because you have a profile and big following doesn’t mean the enquiries are going to flood in! You still have to seek out opportunities, pen yourself as an expert in your field and show people that you really want their business.

Work out a schedule of activity – it’s good to know what you’re going to say and when you’re going to say it. This will help you to monitor effectiveness and regulate your activity.

Groups – join relevant groups and leave ones that aren’t of interest / not very active. Regularly start conversations about topical industry issues rather than sales pitches. Ask for peoples input and always reply to their responses. It’s about developing an online relationship not just about standing on your soap box.

Use an agency to manage your account – if you’re time poor but still want to cover all bases, why not engage a social media agency to manage your accounts and campaign. Content can be agreed and goals and target audience set, enabling you to devote all your time to servicing your clients. Saving you time, saving you money, generating leads and interest – brilliant!

Further tips are provided on our one-to-

The importance of social media and small businesses

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The importance of social media

Many business owners are unsure of social media, the big boys have enough money to throw at it and the small fry have enough time to make sure they get in right – what about everyone else?

Social media is a fantastic way to interact with your customers and listen to what is being said about your company, services and products.

Ultimately this ensures that you can react, amend or update what you are offering to keep your customers totally satisfied.

Still not convinced? Look at the stats in the following video. Maybe they will help you to decide that your business needs to be involved at some level in social media.

There are many different platforms/programmes you could choose, not all will be relevant to your business. The main business ones are LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Unsure of what to do? YouTube has millions of tutorials, many covering all aspects of social media. Take a look – see how you can boost your publicity, sales and profit.

Good luck!