Many people think that building a huge following on social media is all it takes to become a successful influencer. There is actually a lot more to this than you may realize.
While it may be easy for you to create a new Facebook fan page and build a following of thousands of fans, what you need is active followers. An active follower or fan is someone who takes the time to comment and share your content. It is this activity that the major sites like Klout and Kred take into consideration when measuring your influence.
It is possible to get your fans and followers to engage with you by following some simple steps. First remember that social media is about sharing content. While your main goal may be to have others share your content, this will not happen unless you share theirs first.
Another aspect that you want to master is the one of listening. Listen and read the comments that your fans post and then take action on them. By doing this you are actually showing them that you are interested in what they have to say. This will help you build trust and respect amongst your followers and in turn this will improve your power of influence.
Always remember to be yourself when using social media and don’t try to come over as you think people want you to. You should know what your brand
is and what message you are trying to convey to people. This places you in an honest light and again helps to build trust with your customers. After all you want to be someone who your customers can happily do business with.
When it comes to adding content to your social media sites then always aim for quality content first. When having any type of social media conversation it is best to have one great conversation with one person than to try and have a mediocre one with ten or twenty people at one time.
Social media is meant to be fun so don’t forget to include this in your business. You don’t always have to be serious. Exposing a fun side will not hurt your business at all. Instead it will make you look more human and friendly to your followers and more approachable.
So instead of worrying about how to become the next best social influencer, just get out there and inject your personality into your sites. You may be surprised by what happens. And remember to have fun!
If you are your looking for assistance with your social media influence please feel free to reach out to me. I understand what it’s like to struggle with the constant changes that happen in our fast paced business world and I’d be glad to be your guide.
Love this simple advice Wanda. It’s so easy to let your mindset spin out of control and get anxious and stressed out. When the best action is to be yourself! Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for stopping by Elaine. You always do a great job at being authentic.
I have a friend who is a social media maven, and now gets paid to talk about products and events. I somehow made up that I could be that big too, while running my coaching/speaker business, of which social media is only a part, not my main focus. I conveniently forgot that my friend made an entire business of social media, that was her sole intention. I showed up hap-hazardly at best, along with some scheduled posts and incredibly, celebrity status did not follow.
The reality for me is the more I get out there in my big, extroverted energy, the more my social media improves. The more I understand it is about having a conversation and not a monologue, the more engagement I get. It’s a process, not a magic pill. Creating great content and being myself are my focus and it’s working so far!
Aly thanks for sharing your experience. You always do an amazing job on your blog. It’s great that you have realized what works best for you. Sometimes it takes a long journey for people to get there but that’s part of the growth process, right?
I always try to take a playful tone on Social Media, after all, most people are hanging out there because they are avoiding the serious work they “Should” be doing! So, give them a little fun with their resistance and while they are smiling, maybe toss in a little message. 🙂
Wanda, What do you think about marketing product on social media? We don’t run many sales or promotions so I am trying to figure out a way to get people engaged more. We recently started FB ads and that is building our “likes.” I just don’t see much reaction when you post images of products. Any suggestions? I try to keep it fun which is a great reminder and makes it more enjoyable for sure. Thanks!
Jill have you tried using Facebook’s Promoted Posts in your advertising mix? It’s a great way to stay in front of those who have liked your page in the past and are not necessarily seeing your posts in their newsfeeds. Here is a link to provide you with more information https://www.facebook.com/business/promoted-posts. You only want to use this approach sparingly so make sure it counts for the post that you promote.
Just as an example I used it recently on a blog post that I thought people would really benefit from. When I promoted it I went thru the Ads Manager because you can get very specific as to which audience gets served the post. In my case I wanted it shared to only people who had previously liked my page. This was my way of staying in front of them. Let me know how it works for you.
Yes, sharing your personality and great content is the name of the game! And the principle of giving before expecting to receive too. Not any different than when we’re interacting outside of social media. Give VALUE VALUE VALUE, and have conversations. Thanks for emphasizing that it is about having fun too! I wholeheartedly agree.
Thanks for your comment and stopping by this post.