FIVE REAL WAYS TO GET CUSTOMERS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

By Lindsay Wilson - Nov 29 , 2010

Everyone knows we should do social media for our businesses, and yet very few people seem to know how to get clients that way. I’ve built my a large part of my business this way (as have my clients) and I’d love to share with you the five most effective ways I’ve seen to do it.

1. Networking groups: There are many Facebook “like” pages where people have assembled groups of people and welcome you to provide resources, insights, and substance (for instance http://www.facebook.com/Driven.DIVApreneurs). It is easy to be seen as an expert there, and then easier to get clients quickly (they already “know, like, and trust” you ~ as the saying goes).

2. Watch for people’s pain ~ then solve it. If you are a nutritionist, you can daily see people who are agonizing about how much they eat (especially this time of year). The same applies for many fields. Contact them (if the topic is vulnerable, do it via email).

3. Do web shows. Social media isn’t simply Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Go new media and utilize the intimacy of a web show. Vokle.com is a fabulous choice where you can even take video questions. We live in a world of social media because people value connection, transparency, and authenticity. A web show meets these needs in spades and if you’re trying to sell me anything that’s a service, seeing you interact on video makes it a much easier purchase for me.

4. Share people’s testimonials. If someone is thinking about hiring you, they will probably watch your social media (even if they’re not interacting with you). Our guard goes up if someone tells us how great they are; however, if a third person says something wonderful it’s easier for us to believe it. Testimonials often will be the thing that convince someone to purchase from you.

5. Provide opportunities to purchase. The biggest concern I hear is, “I don’t want to seem salesy.” In reality, you would never even know that many people have anything to sell based on their social media. Posting about your dog will not actually increase your sales. Posting “What a wonderful day I had coaching” or “We got so many holiday orders today I’m going to be up ‘til midnight filling them!” encourages sales.

Social media is social – and I don’t think that any of you would simply post your website on someone’s page as a way to sell. Honestly, I think that most of us don’t actually sell via social media because of fear. (If you were at the grocery store and someone asked you what you did for a living, you’d tell them, right? Same deal with social media. The fear of talking about what you do on Facebook, Twitter, etc., doesn’t serve you – nor does it serve the people who need you.)

So, I challenge you to post something that would let someone purchase from you through social media today and let me know how it goes. Feel free to even post a link to your page so we can all go support you (which by getting you into the Top News feed will also help your sales)!