7 Tips to Connect with Your Audience on Social Media
In 2011, social media is hands down one of the best ways to grow a business… if you enjoy networking. It allows you to instantly connect, engage and build relationships with your audience so you can grow your email list, spread your message, increase your revenue and help others to make the best of their day (if you think strategically about every word as an off-shoot of your brand).
Social media truly is every lifestyle entrepreneur’s greatest business building tool. But… there are some secrets to successfully utilizing Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for maximum effectiveness, a few of which I will share with you in this post.
Tip #1: Be helpful. People like to engage with others who can answer their questions, offer advice, share their experience and otherwise help them to achieve their goals. If you want others to help you get what you want… help others to get what they want first!
Tip #2: Be curious. Ask questions. This is a great way to do some market research, but it is also a great way to meet new people and see who is listening to you. If you ask a question to anyone on Twitter and get responses from people you didn’t know were listening, make sure to respond and maybe even RT them! This let’s them know that you are listening and that you care. Everyone wants to feel important and as Dale Carnegie said in his book “How to Win Friends And Influence People” when you listen to others, they feel important!
Tip #3: Be consistently available. This doesn’t mean that you need to be on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn all day, every day. It just means that you need to check into your accounts at least a few times a week. If you really find that social media is enjoyable and that you get more clients and promotional partners, try to engage for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Different people are online at different times of day and if you want to increase your Klout score… consistency of engagement is key!
Tip #4: Be respectful. Some of you may think that this is an obvious one, but we have all seen the people who get into spats on social media. It’s not pretty. Keep in mind that you can’t hear the person’s voice on social media, so there may be some meaning that is lost in the translation of 140 characters (or even email for that matter). Give people the benefit of the doubt. Stay FAR away from social media if your energy is low and limit your impulses to engage in controversial topics or negative banter. You are building a brand that is based on your passions, skills and talents… so why focus on anything that doesn’t support that?
As a general rule of thumb, it is best to stay positive, supportive and respectful on social media as this is your permanent digital footprint and you don’t want to mess with that!
Tip #5: Be generous. The name of the game: social. There are a lot of high profile people on Twitter who only talk with other high profile people, never RT anything from the many people who consistently support them and who basically ignore all of the above tips because they already have a large following. This is a big mistake because these tweeps are missing out on a HUGE opportunity to grow and give back to their audience! Example: Justin Bieber has used social media to develop a loyal fan base that hangs on his every word and rewards him for his interaction by purchasing millions of dollars in merchandise and tickets every single day. Be a belieber! 
Tip #6: Be humble. Need I say more? It’s really a simple concept and one that will serve you well in life and on social media… if you can master it.
Tip #7: Have fun! Social media is also referred to as a virtual cocktail party (although tweeting or Facebooking and drinking are not recommended!). It’s all about having fun! Mix and mingle. Grow your network. Laugh. Build friendships. Be the best person you can be and before you know it… you will attract more amazing clients while you are enjoying life. Sound good?
Let me ask you this… if you want people to spread your message, click on your links and become fans, how would you go about that in real life at a workshop or networking event? Would it be any different than on social media? How? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments…
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