DEBUNKING MARKETING MYTHS 3:

“WE DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BECAUSE OUR CLIENTS AREN’T ON THERE – OUR BUSINESS COMES FROM REFERRALS”.

As you might know, I love to take common marketing mistruths and flip them on their head, and get you thinking about your marketing in a new light.

Marketing myth number 3 in our series “We don’t use social media marketing because our clients aren’t on there – all our new business comes from referrals.” is simply untrue. Because…

WE ARE ALL HUMANS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS A PLACE WHERE HUMANS LIKE TO HANG OUT, CONNECT AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS!!!

So, if your business is selling a product or service to other humans, then it is impossible to say that social media is not a good way to connect with existing customers and potential clients!

I think where it all gets a bit messed up in our brains, is that as business owners, we tend to think that social media is just for selling. This is where everyone goes wrong. The people truly succeeding at social media marketing realise that it is the best platform for connection and building an audience that you sell to in the future. Not immediately!

If you go onto social media for your business as a humble human, interacting with your audience as other humans just looking for connection, then by focusing purely on how you can help them you will ultimately end up with a much better outcome for your business by growing in your reach, your brand, and your audience.

Once you get people to trust you, like you, interact with you and think you can help them; and only once they are ready to purchase from you, will you start to have the conversation of selling them something. And that usually never happens on your social media platforms! If you just try and rush your audience down the path of buying from you, it won’t work. It’s not the platforms fault, it’s your expectations!” Melissa J Scott.

WHY IS SOCIAL MEDIA SO GOOD FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

There are countless reasons, but here are few of my favourites:

Social media is an excellent way to get to grow your database
Expand your reach and get in front of potential new clients that are just like you
Connect with people and develop a real relationship that includes trust
Show people how you are different from everybody else in your industry
It allows you to ‘get personal’ with people that you may not even meet in real life! But they still feel connected to you and like they know you
You do not need to feel icky and do a ‘’hard sell’’

Showing up in social media regularly (I’m thinking daily!), keeps you top of mind for your audience, so when the time comes and they are ready to commit or purchase, you are who they will think of first.

HOW CAN I DO THIS?

Share your stories and examples of how you have helped previous clients. Interact in a way that will give your audience that ‘’Aha moment’’ where they think “yes, this person get’s me, that is exactly what I need/want/have to have etc”.

Some great ways to do this is to:

Give tips that will help them straight away in the business all life
How To’s – show them how to actually solve a problem that they currently have
Share success stories, people really trust you when they can see how you have helped others
Get involved with your community, it’s a brilliant way to build relationships and connect with people through a common interest

Let them see your passion, enthusiasm and energy for your business. That’s what makes you stand out and that is what people remember. Not your sales pitch or offer, but how you made them feel and how you turned up for them.” Melissa Scott.

AVOID THIS CRITICAL MISTAKE

Don’t get me wrong, referrals are awesome and they’re one of the best and fastest ways to grow your business. BUT, if you’re relying only on referrals for your business it can be a very slow and passive way to grow, and you’re actually going to end up severely challenged because you are only getting the referrals that people think you deserve. You’re not getting the referrals that you actually want and that would most benefit your business in the long run.

When people are happy with you, I will refer you no matter what. So why not be exposed to more people through social media, and enjoy the benefits of referrals!

OKAY, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NOW?

Get more strategic in your social media and develop a strategy around your messaging and your target audience. Here are some things to consider

What are you doing those others aren’t?
How do you stand out from the competition?
How will you connect with your audience and get them coming back?
How can you be engaging, interesting and influential – do you need to work on your personal brand as the business owner?
What stories do I have to share right now that will connect with my target audience and help them the most?

ONCE I CONNECT WITH MY AUDIENCE, HOW DO I GENERATE THE BUSINESS?

Social media is all about being social, it’s about being human. Having conversations, helping, sharing and delighting your audience. But you are still a business owner and want to generate leads. So how do you do this?

By using a call to action.

Always offer something really compelling that your audience needs and they can see solves an immediate problem they have. Give it away for free, and ask only for their email address in return. This is how you build your database. You get people into your email nurturing system, and only ask for the sale once they have developed an online relationship with you and your brand.

An example of this is if you’re doing a 5-10 min Facebook live, and you have given your audience some really great and helpful information. You’ve drawn them in and they’re interested to know more. At the end of your ‘chat’, you let them know how to get in touch with you by dropping you a message, commenting below, or checking out your website.

But for real impact, you direct them to a landing page on your website that has a piece of content that would really help them out with a problem right now e.g. an instructional video, 10 top tips, a podcast episode, something that is a really valuable piece of content they can easily absorb.

Social media is a beautiful tool to get in front of more people, engage with them, connect with them, and hopefully help them. Show up regularly and always provide massive value. This builds trust and connection, and when they ARE ready to bite the bullet and purchase, it’s you they will go to.

It really is as easy as that.

If you want to have more success in your business and sales, you need to become an expert at creating trust and connection online through your personal brand, and creating quality content. Book a free half hour strategy session with Melissa today to find out how you can be the Rockstar in your industry. If you want it, it is possible.

And if you would like to check out Melissa, follow these links:

https://melissajscott.com/
https://www.connectionmarketing.online