I bet you can already tell that I am a pretty big proponent of social media. It’s like half of my business.
So it always baffles me when small businesses and non-profits tell me that they don’t really feel like they need to engage with their audience on social media. “I have a website. Isn’t that enough?” Sure, a website is super important and should be the first thing you do to get onto the web. But social media is almost equally important.
Why Am I Still Single?
Maybe you have been married for years or maybe you are still living the single life. Either way, most people will understand this analogy. Imagine you are single and wanting to change that. What would happen if you stayed at home all day, just waiting for the phone to ring? You wouldn’t be very successful in matching up or finding the love of your life, right? The same is true if your company only has a website and doesn’t engage in social media. Your website is your house and social media is “out where the people are”. It’s where people go to relax and have a good time and get to know other people. It is absolutely where you should be.
So, what's your type?
Now, carrying this dating analogy one step further, you can meet the “Mr. Right” customer by simply spending time in the right place. It’s not enough to just “get out there”. You want to get out there where your company’s ideal mate is hanging out. I mean, you wouldn’t necessarily go out and try to pick up chicks at church if you were looking for someone who likes to go out partying all night. You would go out to the club or bar. The same is true for social media. You get to choose who you “meet”. If you are looking for a younger crowd, you might build a profile on Tik-Tok or even Instagram. Whereas if you are courting professionals, definitely look at nurturing your LinkedIn connections. There are TONS of places to find information about which demographics use which platforms. Check out this fact sheet from Pew Research as an example.
I'd Like to Get to Know You
Social media is also the perfect platform for that “getting to know you” phase of the customer relationship. Very few people just jump right in and hand over their money. Social media provides them a safe distance as they get to know you and your company. And that getting to know you phase is more important know than ever. In most cases, people want to know YOU. They want to feel like they know what you’re about and why you are in business, even before they know about your products or services. Social media platforms give you the perfect place to showcase the personality of your business, in a friendly, non-aggressive way. And just as you would if you were out getting to know a potential boyfriend or girlfriend, you want to use social media to put your best traits on display. Give them a taste of what a relationship with you would be like.
Now, Invite Them Over
After you’ve done your part of letting them get to know you and letting them interact with you in a public space, the natural next step is to invite your customers over to your “house”. While social media is great for the getting to know you phase, it is no substitute for a well-built website. Always remember that the goal of social media marketing is to introduce yourself in the best possible light to invite your customers to engage with you on a more personal level. Only then will you make the sale, close the deal or gain a customer for life.
If you feel super uncomfortable “putting yourself out there” on social media, I’d love to help. Give me a call or shoot me an email and let’s talk about setting you up to attract your ideal customers on social media.
