3 Steps to Social Media Marketing Success

There are many Social Media gurus out there offering high-dollar coaching programs which claim to teach you the nuances of social marketing success. I know, I’ve paid for and completed more than I care to admit.  Some of these programs are good, while most are ground up and repackaged BALONEY.

So, how do you know whether a social media guru is right for you?

Fortunately for most of us, it’s not necessary to become an expert in social media marketing.  A sound working knowledge is becoming more and more required, but pursuing personal expertise is like attempting to reach the speed of light — lots of effort with very little incremental gain.  The solution is to understand 3 core concepts of social marketing — what I call the Social Media Sandwich Principle — then put them to work at filling your sales funnel.

Social Media Marketing is NOT advertising — it’s Relationship Building.  The key to success in building relationships with your customers through social media is to focus on these three simple steps….

Type-A entrepreneurs beware

You and I both know that some Type-A entrepreneurs will find it difficult to accept that they won’t possess personal expertise.  (You know who you are.)  For every one of you there is a ‘guru’ with a training offer.  Now, in defense of the good guys, there are many facets of Social Media Marketing and, just like people, there are few absolutes and even fewer folks with the gift to put it all in layman’s terms.  Subscribers to this blog receive my personal recommendations for Social Media and other marketing training.

OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I admit to some type-A tendencies and have made a significant investment (time, effort, money) in discovering the little known secrets of social media marketing.   In fact, one friend just finished her doctoral dissertation on the impact of social media in the marketplace.  My goal is to distill the nuances into a few bite sized principles.  This is at the core of the Social Media Sandwich Principle.

[ Initiate ] LISTEN [ Follow-up ]

Remember, the ‘meet’ goes in the middle.

Social Media Sandwich Principle (Part 1)

1. Initiate — connect with people, introduce YOURSELF, not your business
2. Listen — MEET people on their terms, get to know what they want and need
3. Follow up — present your product or business as a solution to their wants and needs

The ‘meat’ of this sandwich is the relationships that you build.  When meeting new prospects, keep your business in your pocket and be yourself.  Listen to the wants and needs of your contacts so that you are best prepared to ‘meet’ their needs.  Dialogue is key.  It’s important to remember that people love to buy, but hate to be sold.  Your goal is to discover your prospects’ needs, then introduce your product/business as a tailored solution.  When you listen, you let the customer tell you exactly what they want to buy.

Subscribe to this blog now to receive further details on leveraging the Social Media Sandwich Principle in your business.  You will learn how to:

• Establish strong customer relationships
• Gain social validation
• Leverage your social base for increased lead generation
• Social media mistakes which will DESTROY your reputation
• …and more

Subscribe today by entering your name and email in the upper right corner of this page, below the “Follow Me” graphic.  (You will also receive the special bonus indicated above the entry fields.)

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Your best is yet to come!

Robert

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