Be Accessible. Be Active. Be Attentive.
Have you ever volunteered at a construction project? Worked hard with a community of people to accomplish a large goal? It takes a whole lot of effort and team work doesn’t it? If your co-laborers see you sitting around, avoiding being seen, not paying attention to others needs, how do you think they will perceive you? Will they trust you? They will most likely paint a very negative picture of you, lose respect for you, and choose not to work with you again. The same truths apply when attempting to accelerate business growth using social media.
With social media, the overarching objective is to build a flourishing community online that fosters healthy, creative, interaction. The more you add to the community, the more you gain trust and credibility. This inevitably leads to opportunity, retention, and advocacy.
Be accessible. Just show up! Be present. When others direct message you, quickly respond so that they know that you’re available. Connect with people in your network.
Be active. Add to the online discussion. Like, comment, share, follow. Be a thought leader and post relevant articles. However, don’t be a nuisance! Talk about others, educate the community, add value.
Be attentive. Listen to others. What applies face-to-face, also applies online. If there are needs or questions brought up, try and provide a solution. Even if that solution isn’t something you’ll get paid for. Let others see you’re personal, hard working, and kind.
Often times the best relationships are forged in knee-deep activity. The same holds true on social media. If you want to get the most out of this marketing platform, then you have to jump all in with both feet and stay committed to your connections. Be accessible. Be active. Be attentive. Show others that you are someone they want to work with. This will in turn accelerate business growth.
Keep it personal!