4 Social Media Musts

Four rules social media according to Peter Shankman one of the founding editors of AOL news. Opened HARO a PR firm that catered to the dot.com world.

1. Be transparent. Companies can no longer think they will not get caught pretending to be something they are not. The universe is too small now and the internet too big to ever think you can hide behind the curtain. It’s not a matter of if, but when you will get caught. Your biggest threat is not state board or action 5 news, it’s a disgruntled client that knows how to use google. Everyone is a publisher. Used to be reporters would have to beg to get a story written, now with blogging a few clicks and the whole world can read your inner most thoughts and beliefs.    

 

2. How do you reach your audience? You have hundreds or thousands of followers and you want to get information out to them do you know how they want to receive that information. Very simple ASK them. Remember we talked about the fact that social media is a dialog, not a monolog? If you don’t give your audience the information how they want to get it, they will simply go somewhere else to get it. Do your clients want to book online? Make that an option. Do they want to get text reminders? Get in the game and get software that offers that feature. Do they want evening appointments? If you don’t accommodate another salon will.

3. Brevity. The average attention span is getting smaller and smaller. The whole world has ADD. Why do you think Twitter and facebook have grown so fast? 140 characters or less. 2.6 seconds. The average person is being interrupted 17,000 times a day to listen to your message. Not only are they getting interrupted by advertisements, they are getting hit up by friends, family, spouses, ex-spouses, I even am getting texts as I prepare this segment. If you have to try and wrestle their brain for attention you had better have a good message. In other words, learn how to write. I was standing in the post office line today and the girl in front of me was sending out a box, from a company that had thanks for your patients. I’m pretty sure the person she was sending the box to was patient, not sick. Even though blogging is an informal form of writing learn the art of crafting the best words possible to tell your tale. 90% of all communication comes through the written word at some point along the way. Good writing is about being brief. Brevity is the heart of social media.

4. Top of mind. Peter recommends checking in to Face book and first getting the birthday wishes sent out. He separates them to some fb messages, some tweets and some email messages. Also look to the right and Facebook will let you know who you haven’t connected with in a while. You haven’t talked to Cindy, write on her wall. If you connect with enough people on a regular basis it will translate to dollars for you. Build relationships. Because you were top of mind. Not necessarily from that client, what about from their friends? People who said, I need a good nail tech. can anybody help me out. When you are top of mind, you get the gig. Follow these simple steps and your social marketing efforts will truly pay off.