What if I said you could get an awesome free eBook from a bestselling author, help improve one of the world’s top companies, generate a strong following on a new-ish social network, and boost your presence in Google’s search rankings all by subscribing to a single email list?
You probably think I’m crazy! Maybe I would think so too if I was in your shoes.
Anyone who sits down with clients to discuss social media always gets a handful of common questions.
Even this painful one still comes up from time to time:
“Twitter? Who cares if I’m having a sandwich or brushing my teeth?”
Most social media sales people are ready for those questions. They have the answers waiting on the tip of their tongue, because they’ve been asked so many times.
But there are some huge questions business owners frequently ask that I’ve seen stump sellers.
Maybe these questions are so simple and obvious to advocates of social media that it’s difficult to verbalize an answer to the layperson.
Whatever the reason, are you getting stumped by the questions below when you sit down with potential clients?
“Why would they do that?
Seriously, how in the world did they ever decide this would be a good idea?”
Consumers often aren’t the biggest fans of major unexpected changes. Facebook users flipped out when Timeline started rolling out to the masses, for instance. Coca-Cola has had more than one run-in with angry consumers over changes to their packaging.
With that said, there’s a simple fact of life in marketing: Product changes are inevitable.
Everything in business changes.
The way to survive in a competitive market is by launching new products or changing existing products. But changing existing products creates a bit of a problem for marketers:
When changing a product, how do you capture the segment of ever-changing consumers without leaving your most loyal customers out in the cold?
Summer calls for some nice R&R — reading and relaxation. There’s nothing like burying your nose in a good book and your feet in the sand, right?
This list was put together with a couple groups in mind:
These six social media books are sure to make you a social media leader in your industry.
There’s a little something for everyone here, whether you’re looking for basic introductions to social business, theories, concepts, tutorials, guides, tips, or a combination of everything.
There are dozens and dozens of new social media books on the shelves these days, which says plenty about how much of an impact social media is having on business. We filtered through the lot and picked out our favorites.
But enough, let’s get into the list!
1. Picture Perfect. Images are much more likely to catch peoples’ attention, receive likes and comments, and get shared on Facebook. Try to post at least one interesting or humorous picture a week.
2. Ask Questions Wisely. Few people are going to write an essay in reply to a status update that asks a complex question. Ask questions that people can respond to easily using only a few words. Also try to make use of Facebook’s question feature whenever you can. Check out our recent post about asking questions to increase Facebook engagement.
3. Author and Personalize. Sign your name when directly interacting with fans in Facebook comments, especially if multiple people within your organization manage the page. This gives fans an idea of who they’re talking to within the company and also personalizes your brand.
4. Don’t Be a Social Faker. Don’t link your Facebook and Twitter accounts. There’s nothing social about automating the exact same updates across all social networks. Your audience on Twitter has different expectations and perceptions of value compared to your audience on Facebook. Segment your market and appeal to their different needs.
5. Be Considerate. If you have fans across the globe, making status updates at the same time every day might lower engagement from those fans. Be consistent, but consider time zones of all your fans. While you shouldn’t make scheduling Facebook updates a habit, consider HootSuite or Buffer to put out updates during those odd times.
Hey! I’m Jonathan Payne, the Founder and Author of My Social Game Plan — your one-stop-shop for all things social media marketing.