Most business owners lose golden opportunities by being totally absent from social networks. Indeed, most have no activity on social networks. The best are just present on LinkedIn. For example, only 9% of the French leaders of the SBF 120 are present on Twitter according to Analyzes Reputation Squad .
It’s basic: if you want to grow your business, ignore any potential sources of revenue. If your customers are present on social networks, then you must be also as head of this company.
Working on social media is not a fashion story. It is becoming aware of a cultural change in France but also at the level of the planet.
This change is not trivial.
When people want to make sure that a brand or company shares the same values, they search the Web for what their leader has to say about it.
You are looking for a product on Google before buying it! So why not look at what the business owner is saying before signing up for a new product or service? This has never been more important to win new customers, especially for B2B companies.
Choose Your Communication Axes
Before you go on Twitter or Snapchat, set goals.
It’s good to want to put you forward. It’s even the basis of marketing! But first, choose the main lines of discussion on which you want to communicate. This is the starting point of any marketing plan. And your presence on social media is one of them.
These lines of communication will become the pillars of your “brand” as an individual. They do not have to be identical to those of your company, but at least in coherence. After all, you are looking to establish a clear relationship with the company you are leading.
There is the human side and there is also the personality that we can want to reveal. Showing your personality is giving your fans a glimpse into your corporate culture while displaying your sense of humor, for example. Photos and videos are often effective ways to get there.
My advice : Do not try to be too “corporate”. Being “corporate” is never a winning tactic on social networks. You do not have to be perfect either. On the other hand, you must intervene on subjects that are worth hearing and in coherence with the company you represent.
Start With Your Favorite Social Network
Once you have defined your communication axes, it is time to choose your first network and then start publishing from time to time. It is not difficult, but it must be done with great care.
Conduct Your Investigation To Identify Which Network Is In Line With Your Style
The “good” network is both the one on which your target is located, but also the one that best matches the way you want to communicate. It’s also a way to have fun at work.
1. If you want to communicate with visuals, Instagram or Snapchat are the right networks to start. Here are 19 examples of small businesses using Instagram .
2. On the other hand, a more traditional audience likes to read long articles on Facebook .
3. If you just imagine tossing a few words when you have time, remember Twitter .
4. To have a more traditional professional image, then choose LinkedIn – especially if you run a business that addresses other businesses (B2B). I take this opportunity to remind you that LinkedIn is a great tool for prospecting.
As a business owner, you do not have a lot of free time. So, to start, why not spend a few minutes between two meetings to publish on your first social network. Once you are comfortable with your pace of publishing on this first network, choose and feed a second and then a third social network.
Exchange With Your Audience, It’s Not A Monologue
You can start by publishing directly once or twice a week. But beware, social media is not a place to “swing” too commercial messages. You must learn to juggle between your personal reflections and the strict communication guidelines of your company to establish a link with your customers, your prospects, your suppliers, your partners, … and also your employees!
Follow the ” pareto principle ” of social networks. 80% of the messages you post should inform and entertain your audience. The other 20% may be promoting your business and offering.
If you are talented, all these people will begin to support you, you will be visible to more people, which will further increase your sales.
The best way to do this is to mention them in your posts by asking them questions, revealing your opinions or crediting them with the ideas you post in your messages.
However, the best way to quickly get a meaningful audience is to engage the conversation with everyone, at least with as many people as your time allows.
Indeed, on social media, people say quite easily what they think, what they like or what they do not like. Talking with them is a great way to find out what works well or not so well in your business. Often, they also give you tips for improvement.
If you can not respond to all comments, prioritize influencers in your area or the most interesting comments or discussions about your posts. If you have the opportunity, delegate part of this task to someone on your team who can play the role of community manager.
Share And Comment On The News Of Your Sector
In theory, it is better to publish original content. In practice, you will surely not have enough new ideas every day, especially at the beginning. However, it is quite possible to relay news from your industry by posting your comments.
Your consumers – and even the staff of your corporate customers – expect you to share values. I’m not talking about going for a “family business” – it does not work anymore. I simply want to say that you have to defend your ideas, even without shouting atop them. Commenting on the news in your industry is a good way to do it.
So share the events in your area with your own ideas. Invite to the discussion, whether with everyone or just with other influential people you know. And in my opinion, as an entrepreneur, you know it.
Feel free to mention “experts” social networks that work in the same field of activity as you. You will automatically gain additional exposure from the connected audience to the people you are quoting.
Have a look at the Twitter feed of Xaviel Niel, the CEO of Free. He does not tweet often. In addition, it is for most retweets news related to its activities.
Post Your Own Content
After a while, you’re going to want to help your business grow its incoming flow of prospects as well. You will probably do more than just comment on the news in your area. You will begin to relay the content that your company publishes. It can be a blog post, a landing page, a YouTube video , an eBook, or an info-graphic. But why not go further by taking advantage of your reputation and / or your expertise by generating leads, for example through a webinar.
Ignoring social media means missing out on new opportunities, whether in the form of lost orders or leaving the door wide open to your competitors who will not be bothered to reach your customers.