mjones | Social Media Aspirin™

April 15, 2014July 28, 2016

What story are you telling on your social media?

You’ve heard, read, and seen by now that social media is not really a selling mechanism so much as it is a way to tell a story. People respond to stories. They do not respond to constant advertising which will work against you if you use it too often.

Does that mean you never post an event you’re hosting or a widget you’re selling? No, you can do that, especially if you make it enticing to your fans in some way.

If you’ve taken the time to develop your social media personality and platform, whether you’re witty, warm and fuzzy, passionate, to-the-point, or intuitive, and have interacted with your fans in an authentic way, they’ll be okay with the occasional plug. In fact, if you don’t mention your product at all, they won’t see you as someone with a product useful to them.

Most of you follow a brand or personality on social media. Pay attention to what you like and don’t like. Why do you keep following that page or Twitter account? Do they offer coupons, contests, or other ways to save? Are they amusing? Do they use funny photos?

If you are following a personality, you probably love it when you’re allowed a glimpse “behind the scenes” of that person’s life. It doesn’t have to be deeply personal. On Facebook, Dwayne Johnson will post something from a movie set he’s on, a photo of his mom, or the one day a month he makes pancakes. He also talks about charities and philanthropic efforts.

You can do the same on your social media. Be who you are and do it within your platform. For example, some authors will post photos of their work spaces, talk about the trials and triumphs of being a writer, and post about their latest book. Some ask fans to name a character. They do this in a way that represents their true personality while staying within their genre/expertise.

Other brands post fan photos of their product, whether it’s coffee or a magazine, which encourages engagement. Some offer coupons, host contests and giveaways, or host free webinars.

If you set up social media profiles and then never or rarely get back to them, you are still telling a story.

But is that the story you want your customers and fans to see?

January 19, 2014January 11, 2019

Tips for Working With Your Social Media Manager

If you’ve invested in a social media manager to help you establish and grow your social media presence, you must work in partnership with them for the most success. Don’t just throw your manager out there and hope things will go the way you expect. Client partnership is key!

What responsibilities do you, the social media client, have as a partner with your manager?

Be available. I can answer simple fan and follower questions on your behalf, but you are the expert. Fans and customers can and do ask questions I cannot answer, so I need a way to contact you and get an answer quickly. For many, it’s email. Some may prefer texting. One person I know keeps their Skype account up and running and prefers contact that way.
Send me links. Anytime you see a website, blog post, video, or newsletter containing information related to your expertise, send it my way. I always appreciate new information I can use as part of your social media strategy.
Send me photos. Fans love to see the real person behind the social media profile. Keep it simple and fun. Maybe you went on a hike, spoke at a conference or met the President of the United States and shook his hand. Get those to me post haste.
Keep me updated. If you have an upcoming event of some kind – book signing, speaker at a conference, ribbon cutting – tell me AHEAD of time. If you wait until the last minute and then are frustrated at the lack of social media response, you unfortunately just caused your own issue. You’ve got to give me time to work it.
Understand social media basics. You invested in me, your social media manager, to provide the expertise needed to make each platform work to best advantage. But it is helpful for you to understand that social media is not about selling, selling, selling. It IS about building relationships, being authentic, being consistent, telling your story and being interesting and of value to your fans and customers. As such, I am not going to scream “Buy My Widget” every other post.
Create new content consistently. The easiest way to do this is to keep a blog. Start small, like once a week, but be consistent and do it every week. Giving me high-quality content to work with will better establish you as the expert in your business.
Keep your scheduled communication appointment. In my social media practice, I speak directly with each client at an agreed-upon time (beyond email) by phone, video chat, or in person when feasible. This allows you to ask questions, ask for changes, mention new information, develop or enhance new social media strategy, and the best part – we get to know each other better.
Pay on time. Please. I want to spend my time working diligently on your behalf rather than on tracking you down for a late payment. Plus that creates hard feelings unnecessarily.

Of course this is only half the equation. Watch for another post on exactly what a social media manager does for you, the client. Some of those responsibilities are also mentioned in another post titled “Create a Partnership with Your Social Media Manager.”

What other tips would you add to this list? Post a comment below.

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