If you didn’t read The Five People You Meet in Heaven, here is an overview. The protagonist dies (spoiler alert) and goes to heaven where he meets five people from his past. They each teach him an important lesson about his life here on earth.
When you’re marketing on social media, you’re tapping into a marketplace of millions of businesses and people. It’s up to you to continuously be looking for lessons on how to improve your presence online. Here are the 5 “people” you meet on social media and what to learn from them.
The Social Butterfly
Being shy has no place on social media. The brands that have the largest followings are those that are actively interacting. Your social media strategy should include consistent networking with your audience. Research industry leaders, and pay close attention to their networking strategy.
A great way to interact with your audience is through online contests like Zappos’ #imnotabox campaign. Zappos’ customers are encouraged to create something original out of their Zappos box and use #Imnotabox to share. This creates an enormous network and incentive with a prize for the winning box. Lesson here: get social!
The Inconsistent One
First, know which platforms you’re on and how quickly they move. Twitter has a completely different pace from Instagram. If you’re unsure, do research, and update your strategy. In a digital marketing strategy, consistency is key. Have you ever gotten excited about a brand online only to find that they post once every 6 weeks and don’t keep up with the industry? You probably lost interest fast.
During the process of creating a strategy, decide how frequently you’re posting, blogging, and sharing on each platform. Sticking to a schedule will not only increase your fan base, but it will create organization when launching your channels.
The Aggressor
Don’t confuse interacting with selling. Shoving your latest promotion on followers’ pages is the quickest way to lose them. Your goal through interactions is to create engagement with your audience and build your following. Make sure you offer them something.
If you’re constantly using verbiage like “check out our latest product!” or “get this great deal!”, you’re too aggressive. This is the difference between traditional and digital marketing; the connection comes first, then the sale.
The Over-sharer
Have you ever heard the phrase, sharing is caring? Do not apply that freely to social media. Quality content will always trump quantity. Many businesses make the mistake of sharing every image they’re tagged in on Instagram or every post they may be mentioned in on Facebook.
Networking is important, but be picky when sharing to your pages. When you share every bit of content, it’s difficult to maintain consistency. Your content should be relevant, informational, and entertaining to your audience.
The Sensitive Soul
Getting feedback in a public space like social media can be pretty scary. The biggest mistake you could make is to become defensive online. If you receive a negative review or comment, place priority on replying to them first. The sooner you nip it in the bud, the better. Don’t be sensitive; not everyone will like what you post and social media platforms. Allow them to express that.
For more tips on your social media marketing strategy, follow us on social!
