Spreading the Word: Getting More Mileage From Social Network Marketing

At Jacob Tyler, we like to remind clients that social network marketing doesn’t run on “traffic” or “hits” – when you’re trying to hook people on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, its attention that matters most. When people are tuned in, engaged in what you’re telling them in pixels or video, then you are moving them closer to client status. On the other hand, having them glance at your profile and then move on doesn’t do anything for you.

As I hope we have imparted to you by now, the key to gaining this attention is having an interesting, soft sell marketing message. In other words, you need to dance, sing, and otherwise entertain while quietly referring to your products or services every once in a while. Of course, both sides of the equation have to balance each other out – you do have to find the people who are going to give you their attention.

Here are a few things you can do to crank the social networking engine and start to generate followers:

Devote some time every day to social networking. Above all, remember that this is a long-term strategy, and it’s only going to work if you think of it that way. Social networking isn’t something you can sit down and “do” for 8 or 10 hours and then be finished with it. Instead, you’re going to have to devote five or ten minutes a day to updating your profile, sending messages, and responding to other people.

Remember your plan and goals. If the first rule is to remember the long term, then the second is probably to keep your eyes on the road. It’s easy to get distracted by meaningless conversations, fun “extras” like games and photos, or just catching up with old friends and colleagues. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of this every once in a while, of course, but you’re going to have to be judicious with your time – and remember what sort of connections, customer base, or search engine optimization you’re trying to build with social networking – or your plan is going to go off track quickly.

Make contacts consistently. Give some thought to what kinds of people you’d like to be connected to –  especially in terms of potential customers and colleagues, in additional to contacts that already buy from you – and make a methodical effort to add at least a few of them every day. Most people won’t refuse a connection, and your ultimate goal is to have a network packed with high-powered contacts who can either respond to your marketing messages or pass them along.