The Confidence to be Social: 4 Hints to Get You Started

The Confidence to be Social: 4 Hints to Get You Started

February 23, 2014 Uncategorized 0

Yesterday, I ranted a bit (snort) on using social media to gain the confidence to share your story and create the opportunities you need Today, as promised, I’m going to give you some tips on getting started. These tips are for people working up the courage to dip their toes into the social media current, so email me (carlotazee@gmail.com), if you’re looking for help to get you the next level.

1. Identify your goals, so you can build a focused, coherent strategy to achieve those goals. Why are you thinking of creating a Twitter account, to get publicity for your wine company, or to get laid? I mean, one will (probably) take you to the other, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s going to be hard to find it. You’re probably going to end up with a Twitter presence that’s a whole lot of nothing interesting. Have some empathy and think about your social media footprint from (potential) clients’ POV: Why should they be interested in you? What’s unique about you? Why should they care? What do you do for them?  Think about your clients’ needs, their interests, have some empathy and get inside their heads. How are you going to uniquely appeal to them? Once you can identify that, you can start building a Twitter strategy that starts pushing emotional buttons.

2. Realize that different social media platforms reach different people, so you’ll need different content. Also, different platforms highlight different messages, and images. So what might work great on Pinterest, for example, may be a yawn on Facebook. You’re going to have to invest some time on each platform, seeing what works and what doesn’t. (Don’t give me that look: this is your brand, your opportunities, we’re talking about.) If nothing else, get started on the platform you personally use the most, and start checking out your competition. Check out what works, and what doesn’t. I can’t tell you how many lessons and ideas I personally have gotten from seeing people put train wrecks out on Facebook, for example. Also realize that huge numbers don’t necessarily translate into sales. The investment of your community is always what matters.

3. Have some fun with it. I shouldn’t even have to write this, but it’s Facebook, for god’s sake, not the cure for cancer. Try not to take it so seriously. People go on Facebook to escape from jobs they dislike, from boring relationships, from the general frustration that is life. With that in mind, give people who come to your platforms a sense of release. If you’re freaking out about the state of your company, Facebook isn’t the place to share that freak out. It’s a huge turn off. I recently went to the theater here in NYC that smelled like the subway, and is obviously in the midst of some serious funding issues. They have my sympathy, but I couldn’t wait to get out of that place, it made me extremely anxious. I went to the theater to get a break, and sitting there feeling like the US Marshals were going to be there any minute with an eviction notice, did not do wonders for my mood. I will never return. When I see businesses or people savoring their misery on social media, it leaves the same kind of bad taste in my mouth. Your business woes are not the clients’ fault. Take a breath, and project the way you wish (and need) to be perceived.  Also, if it’s not fun…why are you doing it?

4. Share your passion. In my opinion, the most powerful thing you can do on social media is to share your passion and inspire your viewers. If your Pinterest boards, for example, make me care about what you’re doing, and want to dig deeper, you’re close to a sale. I want to give my money to people who care about what they do, because they’re more likely to care about me as a client. Share your passion and I’ll be hooked. Passion is always what I care about, more than slick advertising or huge numbers of followers.

Again, those are four very general hints. Want more individualized help? Of course you do! Email me at carlotazee@gmail.com, and become a fan of my Facebook page, “Carlotaworldwide Creativity Yenta,” for a free consultation.

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