If you are busy with a social media campaign, one of the most likely main goals is to raise your brand’s awareness and visibility. We are making connections on the social web to increase our personal visibility and the visibility of our business, products, and services. When starting with a social media campaign, do your best to research and find the best practices for each social media channel you will be diving into. It really isn’t that hard. Follow a couple of key influencers in your niche, research how to use the channel, and always remember to give everyone a chance and play fair.
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It still amazes me when I see self-proclaimed social media and digital experts that don’t understand the basic rules of social media and how to build a network of targeted people. If you are one of these “gurus” or if you are starting out with social media marketing, here are some way you can scare people off with your campaign and make sure they won’t follow you or join your network.
1. Telling me to join your group
If I see your group or fan page and I am truly inspired, I will join the group (if it is open) or like your fan page without you insisting me to do so. We all want to grow our network, but one of the first things you should remember is that doing it the organic (natural) way is the best. When I started with social media marketing, I did ask my friends to join my network, but only by providing value and sharing interesting content that your network will enjoy, will you inspire other interested people to join your network.
2. Using the default avatar
Do you go to your local supermarket blindfolded? Social networking is like networking in real life. We want to see who we are doing business with. Don’t use your brand’s logo when communicating online. Show your real face and how you truly are. The same goes for completing your bio on the social media channels you are using. Who are you and what are you doing? Using a lot of “blanks” in your bio really says a lot about what you are doing — “blank”.
3. Only talking about your products
I don’t know about you, but at real life networking events, I hate it when someone only talks about themselves and their services or products. Social networking is the same. Social media is all about conversations, not talking ‘at’ people. You will definitely scare people away when you only talk about yourself and what you are doing. Listen first to what others are saying and then see how you can add value to the conversation.
At the end of the day, treat your social media campaign and strategy exactly the same way you want to be treated in real life. If you follow these basic rules it is more likely that you will be able to grow your target audience by connecting with them. While many believe that social media is simply a numbers game, gathering lots of untargeted followers doesn’t mean anything, except that it looks good on paper.
