When it comes to social media marketing, establishing good communication between you and your followers is pertinent in driving your business forward in today’s competitive market. Depending on the type of business you run, there are different methods you can use to start conversations that will ultimately generate new business.
While there are numerous ways to start successful conversations, the key is doing it in a way that supports your business goals. The following are a few basic tips you can use to get the ball rolling towards meaningful connections with your social media followers.
Establish a Human Connection
Unfortunately, with today’s technology, the use of robotic responses has caused many people to feel like just another “sale.” Because of this, establishing that you truly are a living, breathing human being goes a long way towards gaining trust amongst your followers.
There was a time when addressing your audience by their first names or posting pictures was enough to show that you are real; however, that is no longer the case.
While you can still use these methods, the trick is to verify that a person actually posted them. You can do this by making a comment on a posted picture saying when and where it was taken, commenting on the current weather in your area, or just sharing normal day-to-day experiences in your business that people will relate to.
If you can do all of these things, your followers, in their natural tendency to move towards human companionship, will leave comments in response to your posts. As a result, you show them that you are indeed a real person, and conversations will ensue based off your personal dealings.
Involvement
Involvement from social media fans is a great way to start conversations. By opening up real discussions, you close the “disconnect” that people experience when they are conversing through a computer. You will be able to make them feel as if their input truly means something to you.
Some examples of involvement include:
- Asking your audience for advice about a particular subject, asking them about personal struggles (related to your industry)
- Asking for pictures of customers using your products
- Having “customer of the week/month” competitions
- Asking for customers’ opinions about decisions you are making in your business
When you open up to your social media followers and truly treat every one of them as a personal member of your online world, the conversations will come and flow naturally; this is the key to overall social media success.