For small-business owners just getting started with social media, it can quickly appear to be a daunting task. In this video, popular blogger Chris Brogan shares his advice for companies looking to reach potential customers on social networks. One of the most common mistakes, he says, is when small business owners start promoting their companies right out of the gate.
"If you were at a cocktail party, you wouldn't come up and shake someone's hand and say, 'You should see what I sell. I'm amazing!' You would ask about the other person," says Brogan, president of Human Business Works, a small-business education and growth company. "The same holds true [on social networks]. You really need to build a relationship before you go for the sale."
And if you think you can skip social media and it won't affect your business, Brogan says think again.
"Everything you do in social media contributes to [online] search," says Brogan, also co-author of The New York Times bestselling book Trust Agents, and author of Social Media 101. "And search is how people find you [and your business]."
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Comments:
Quite interesting site. I simply got absolutely nothing to do hence I'm just killing time surfing around the net and I sense that I've discovered some very practical site. Many thanks
Having an active Google Plus presence for your business, brand or name has powerful ... As social media expert, Chris Brogan, has said, on Google Plus
Great video with awesome advice. The cocktail party/networking event is spot on. Always asking others to talk about their business is the best way to uncover opportunities. People like to talk more than they like to listen which can make this a challenge for some. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this Chris, small business people are learning from you daily.
Its a good recap of personal experience - nothing worse than liking a page & then your newsfeed is full of posts...that you cannot see your friends & family - its the quickest way to the 'hide all comment' button. Same for all social media - for sure...build the brand/community - thats what its there for...selling does not generally work in these mediums...people, especially in facebook want to have fun - not have a hard sell. Agree Andre - amazing what you can gather from just being involved in a group of peoples conversations - listening - you get to see their real problems & issues...from where you can provide the best solutions to these and become more valuable to your connections in the future....learning every day ;-)
as with anything in life @twitter-70685365:disqus nothing in life grows fast but weeds, but with hard work on and off line, you will sooner than later have a community of brand ambassadors working for and with you.
I couldn't agree more with Brogan, relationship marketing should be a tactic and thought of more as just building communities. Just because someone LIKE'd your page or followed you on twitter does not give you the right to knock on their door soliciting your product. I try to tell people that we were born with two ears and one mouth, and that's so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. If you listen to what is going on within your audience and even just online in general, you can really get a good idea of how you can be of service. Trust me, when you become a person of service, the consumers will come to you ready for whatever it is your selling. Become an influence, constantly improve your brands reputation and you will gain trust. Chris Brogan & Julien Smith taught me that, and I'm still working to better myself every day. @AndreMcKayATx
Excellent. Simple and concise explanation of Social Media manners and how to do it right from the start. I,m off to help the world.
Great Explanation for what Social Media really is, and how to use it for your business