How To Turn Social Networking Into Effective Marketing

Social networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are not just good for keeping up with high school buddies – they can also be powerful tools for building relationships and generating sales. Go into this with the idea that you are going to use social networking to increase your contacts, get them thinking and talking about you and then covert those contacts into contracts!

Setting up an account is easy. It’s what you do with it that counts. Focus on projecting a professional image and getting people to visit your site. Be creative with ways to stay connected with those people.

Don’t Waste Time

First, understand these social networking sites are not places to waste time. Treat them as tools that can help connect you with future clients and propel your business forward. When I use social networking I am looking to connect with those that can either promote my business or directly see and buy my products. If your old college mates can help you, great! Go after them! But reliving the glory days should not be your primary purpose when using these tools.

Keys To Success

• Before you build your site, clarify your purpose. Build your site with your purpose in mind:
• Always use a photo as people want to see who you are.
• Provide a list of items in your profile that substantiate you as a professional.
• Make sure all communication is professional and supports your purpose.
• When you communicate make sure that the viewer finds the
• information you are providing to be useful.
• Understand this site is like a living entity and it will need daily attention in order to bring results.
• You don’t need to know anything about technology you need to know about sales.

At 51 years old I am a bit handicapped with using technology and most of my office staff are amateurs in this new world of technology. We actually experimented with the selling principles from my book, Sell to Survive, to see if those same principles would work with social networking. We created over 700 strong business connections on LinkedIn in just two weeks. Our FaceBook effort was a lot easier for us and we hit 5000 connections in a couple of months. More importantly our sales grew almost 5 times in the same period.

It’s About People, Not Technology

Remember, don’t need Internet skills to get connected, you need sales skills! You can check any of my sites to get ideas about what we have done with them to generate opportunities and create sales. Social networking is a real sales activity and a substantial way to keep your clients or prospective clients thinking about you, talking about you and ultimately selling your products and services.