You might this is quite a curious title for a blog article but trust me, all will be revealed – and it will make sense! Let me explain. The idea of social media being the shop window for your business came out of the Facebook Live sessions I run every Friday. These have been great for building lots of engagement with my online followers, which made me think about the similarities between social media platforms and high street shops.
Put simply, your social media accounts are your chance to showcase your wares to the world and show prospects and clients why you’re so much better than the competition. For many people, the first point of contact they have with a new supplier is online, making it even more important for your social media pages to make a strong first impression.
Sadly, there are all too many businesses out there who neglect their social media accounts. Just setting up a bare bones profile and writing the odd Tweet or Facebook post simply isn’t good enough. It’s a bit like spending a fortune on setting up a high street shop and then not opening it. Or if you do open it, not putting any stock in the window.
Think of it like this: how often have you walked past a shop and then stopped in your tracks as something in the window has grabbed your attention? It’s certainly happened to me a few times (and cost me a pretty penny on the odd occasion!) Shop owners know they need to put on an attractive display to get people interested and want to come in and buy.
Your social media accounts should have exactly the same effect on your prospects and clients. By posting interesting, relevant and helpful content, you can reach out to your target audience, encourage them to follow and like your pages, and get those all-important conversations started. Naturally, consistency is key in terms of content and tone, so your posts always strike the right note with your followers.
Of course, it’s not just about chatting away with people on Twitter and Facebook. If you have a LinkedIn profile (and you should!), it’s just as important to engage and communicate with people here, too. It really frustrates me when people just set up a profile and leave it to rot.
So don’t do it. Send a personal message to everyone who asks to connect with you and start exploring how you could do business together, or otherwise be of value to each other. Read other people’s posts and leave relevant comments that get people talking. And when people mention you in posts or comments, make sure you reply! I’ll look more closely about the importance of reacting to engagements in a future article, so keep an eye on my blog.
In the meantime, you might be wondering where to start with getting your social media accounts kick-started or breathing new life into them. If so, you might be interested in joining my free Facebook Live sessions, which I run every Friday at 8am. They’re all about coming at social media and sales from different angles, so you’re sure to pick up some new ideas, hints and tips you haven’t thought of before.
And of course, if you’d like more in-depth training on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, you know where to come! I’d be delighted to help you build up a stronger, healthier online presence that really makes your audience sit up and pay attention. Contact me today to find out more about how my social media and sales training services can benefit your business. Call 01530 440 597 or email hello@curetonconsulting.co.uk today.
