There are tons of how-to’s out there when it comes to Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Foursquare, etc. Most of them written by much more knowledgeable people than I can possibly be on such a quickly shifting medium. I am in need of step-by-step instructions just like the next person when it comes to setting up the accounts and posting items online. (I – dread to even consider the notion – am slowly turning into my parents when it comes to new technologies.) With all these written instructions there is not much about how to connect with your customers.
Besides the draw of free advertising (read Shelly Kramer’s (of V3im) article on why Social Media Is NOT Free to kill that notion) that social media brings to businesses both large and small, it is the ability to connect with customers outside the point of sale that is leading to the embracement of the medium. If you have been reading my posts (Mom you don’t count) then you know that having a plan for any business action is a must. So it is the same when it comes to how you are going to connect with your customers online. Here are three steps you can use to connect:
Adopt A Personality That Fits
It Is All In The Software Code
It is important that you understand I am not talking about being a “sock puppet” when it comes to creating an account. What I am talking about is adopting a personality that fits with your company’s culture and its representation to its customers. As an example look at Pfizer, Inc. (PFE), they have a reputation of being professional, well dressed, dark suited, and extremely polite. If they have an online personality through twitter or Facebook, they would not be giving “shout outs” and posting “Hey Dude!” That would not be consistent with the public’s perception of them as a company. They are expected to be consistent. Whereas on the converse side of things, seeing tweets or status updates from Starbucks I would expect to find information about coffee and their locations in a barista’s tone of voice. Which would be completely different from the straight laced Pfizer.
The same will be for your business. Make sure you have a personality that fits with how you work with your customers at the point of sale. The customer no matter where their interaction with your business may occur expects consistency.
Be Genuine – Be Real
There are a few stereotypes when it comes to social media. The first, everyone is spouting nonsense about his or her cats. (Guilty! Except it is my dog @KooikerExpress.) The second, people only use it to shout out their products and it ends up just being noise/spam. There is truth to both of these items. Let’s break it down into why your business will be different and how to get past the clutter.
The first stereotype about people blabbering on about their pets or whatever… get over yourself. Everyone likes to talk about himself or herself. Even you. Heck! I love to
A Genuine Interaction
talk about me. The reason you and your business are entering into this foray is that you want to talk about what you are doing, your product and services, and how you help clients/customers. You are talking about yourself. The difference is: knowing when you are being boorish. Which you do! That means that you are willing to listen to your customers, potential clients, and whoever enters your online presence talk about themselves. There is a reason we come with two eyes and two ears and one mouth. If you take the time to listen you will learn so much more about your customer, their habits, and their needs and how you can meet them.
That leads into how you can avoid the second stereotype of being seen as shouting on a soapbox in Hyde Park, aka spam. By listening and engaging with your audience you will be seen as providing value and build a bond of trust. You will be able to break through the noise. This means that you need avoid the temptation of scheduling tweets and only talking about your business. This means that you have to be real and genuine in your communication.
That can be uncomfortable for some businesses. Being genuine and real allows for you to acknowledge the bad that comes across your stream. It means knowing that not everyone is going to care about what you offer. It means that you must convey a real person behind each tweet and/or status update. It means you are going to have fun! (Which translates into a bit of a headache for the legal department but heck that is what they make the big bucks for right?)
If there is one lesson that can be learned here is from Jeffery Gitomer that, “People buy from people.” Social media is a medium of connecting people. Authenticity will rule the day.
Be Willing To Invest In The Marathon
A Twitter Toast
Engaging in social media is not a fly-by-night process. Nor is it a shooting star moment of the internet. Facebook is the fastest growing platform for generations Y & Z, Twitter has maintained its growth, and Google is trying to muscle into the action with Google Buzz. The technology sector of the global economy is investing in social media. It is going to be here for quite some time.
It will take time to build relationships and trust in the various online social networks. Which means that you and your business must have patience. That does not mean you do not measure results and it does not mean that you are passive in engagement with your audience. It does translate into being a pursuant of quality in the participation.
When it comes to your business this is a marathon, not a sprint. Which means you have to plan for the investment of time to see a return. Otherwise you will fall into one of the two stereotypes mentioned above.
What are your thoughts? What did I miss?
About the author:
Erroin A. Martin is a Business Advocate with the Von Gehr Consulting Group, LLC, a business coaching and consultancy provider for business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs. He has fifteen years experience working within the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, natural resources, medical devices, software, technology, business services, and agriculture industries in various levels of leadership across six continents. He has led diverse teams in sales, marketing, planning, and in the Army. He currently coaches business leaders and physicians in the tools needed to plan for their success. Learn more about the Von Gehr Consulting Group, LLC at www.vongehrconsulting.com or call +1 203 433 8079. You can follow him on Twitter at @Erroin
The Von Gehr Consulting Group, LLC, was founded by Erroin A. Martin to provide business coaching, business consulting, and other services to companies both large and small. The primary goal is to have his clients be passionate about their business and reach the unachievable.
