Social Media for Beginners: Ten Tips to Get Started

Happy Friday everyone!  This is the fifth and final installment of a week long tutorial on the basics of  social media.  I thought it would be appropriate to offer a final recap of all content covered, along with some final food for thought.  

Today, more than ever it’s simple to engage in social media. The real issue then becomes, are you engaging appropriately? Here are ten quick tips to being successful in social media for your business:

  1. Wrap some management around your social media endeavors.  At Drive Action Digital we create content calendars on behalf of our clients. Taking the time to map out the type of content, as well as the frequency of the content you share will pay dividends. Your followers will begin to expect to see your walls posts, and they will seek your insight.  We also make sure that the “type” of content is defined – solicitous content, conversation starters, thought leadership content etc.  It will help you scale the program as well when you share the content calendar internally so that everyone is aware of what information will be pushed to your social places.
  2. You’ve got to be in it to win it. Get started today. If you’re not, you’re making a huge mistake. I’ve discussed this before, but whether you like it or not, social media is “happening” to your brand.
  3. Making money in social media, means you have to stop trying to make money in social media. This one is difficult for some to wrap their heads around.  At Drive Action Digital we work off the premise that social media has effectively flipped the traditional marketing funnel.   So instead of worrying about: initiator, influence, decider, buyer and end user, you should focus on enhancing each step in the funnel. Allow your brand to be approachable, and discoverable, and you will further enhance your brand, and increase sales across the board.
  4. Social Media is a qualitative endeavor, but you can add some quantitative data to help you glean some learning.Leveraging services like Hootsuite will help.  Make sure that you’re tracking your tweets, and Facebook posts. Analyze the data and see what resonates with your community. Services like Hootsuite will help you generate fantastic reports.
  5. Don’t be afraid to ask your community what type of content they want. If they’re fully engaged, and they trust you, they’ll offer guidance.
  6. Produce content that resonates on a human level. Don’t be afraid to write from the heart.  We’re all human beings, and we’re it’s ok to show some vulnerability.  Let the community know when you’ve made a mistake.  Acknowledge a complaint immediately, and let the community know you’re working on a resolution.  People will understand, I promise. Just don’t let complaints fester
  7. Have some fun with this. Creating content is a blast. You love your brand, and you love what you do. Share why you love your brand.  Tell  your community why you get out of bed in the morning. Let them know what ignites passion in you. Chances are that they feel the same way.
  8. Think “behind the scenes”…generate content that your community wouldn’t ever see elsewhere, and they’ll love you for it.  Allow them into your living room.  While chatting with my Uncle about what he should blog about, I encouraged him to talk about his travels throughout his career, not just about business.  I’m sure there is a young executive out there (myself included) that will be inspired by his posts.  Show people how things work. No matter what you think is mundane may be exhilarating for someone else. Jason Hartelius is a producer at Fox TV that isn’t impressed with much in TV considering that he’s been doing it for so long, but when he gave me a tour of the control room at Fox TV I felt like a 10 year old.   Same goes for the Brian Vastano at Steiner Sports.  He gave me a tour of their factory (pictured) and I went nuts. He had been there often, and didn’t think much about it.  Imagine if he posts vlogs about the new content, or if the producer vlogged from the control room during a live broadcast – magic!Steiner Sports
  9. Don’t focus onlyon your business.  Recently I received a comment on my blog that I didn’t publish. The person was annoyed that I had blogged aboutmy daughter on a business blog. I don’t regret posting personal content here, because at times, those posts get the biggest readership. They also tell my readers about who I am, what I value, and who I am.  I guarantee that this factors in when one of my potential clients is thinking about hiring me. People want to work with people they like. Let your guard down, and be human.
  10. Synch your social places. Personally, I use Networked Blogs. When I post here, the content pushes to my Facebook page, Drive Action Digital Facebook page, and my Twitter account. It limits my time spent on tactical endeavors and it ensures me that I won’t forget to share in the appropriate places.  Leverage the technology to help you.

Please email me at christopher.dessi@driveactiondigital.com if you would like to hear more about specific topics, or just add a comment.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Over and out.