One of my authors said to me, “I feel like I’m stalking
people when I’m doing a social media marketing campaign.”
“Yes!” I responded. “That
means you’re doing it right.”
Social networking is not stalking, though I understand how
it can feel that way, (especially if you’re doing it right) because in
implementing your target marketing approach, you often find yourself visiting
and re-visiting the same pages.
Most people don’t understand how social networking really
works and why it is so important in
The benefit of social networking is that you increase the
visibility of your product and yourself.
What does it take to be a good social networker? The willingness to put yourself out there
(knowing a certain level of vulnerability comes with it), a lot of time and a
commitment toward action.
VULNERABILITY
The simple fact is that you cannot have privacy AND be in
the public eye.
When you place yourself in the public eye, you must expect
that a certain percentage of “weirdos” will emerge and be drawn to you. This comes with the territory and if you
can’t handle it, then don’t go public.
My Facebook page is public because I am an author and the
amount of books I sell is directly related to the amount of contact I make with
the virtual universe. I also run a
publishing company and use social media to assist in marketing my author’s new
releases. Thus, I “friend” just about anyone who requests my friendship,
viewing every individual as a potential new contact, new reader and new fan. I believe paths cross for a reason, even in
the virtual world, and I can honestly tell you that I have made some very good
friends over social media. The risk is
high at times and I have had moments where I have felt threatened, but those
instances are few and far between. The
truth is that I have had way more positive experiences in social media than
negative ones.
If I “friend” someone who then behaves inappropriately, i.e.
posting porn or solicitations on my wall, commenting rude or explicit things,
sending me nude pictures, etc., I simply block them and move on. In putting myself out there publicly I am
assuming responsibility for the fact that I may encounter some strange
individuals and thereby accepting the culpability that it is my job to block
them when needed.
It is no one else’s fault when a “weirdo” emerges.
GROWTH TAKES TIME
Social networking takes time and effort because in order to
grow your visibility, you have to help grow the visibility of others. For me, those others exist primarily in the
entertainment/literary realm.
This is
how it works:
Every time I go to an author, actor or artist’s page and
“like” something, it shows up in the news feed of all of my “friends.” This promotes that person’s page. In addition, my name shows up in their post
when I “like” it or comment on it, giving me visibility. The hope is that those people will
reciprocate the action by “liking” or commenting on one of my posts, thereby
rendering that post visible to their “friends” in their news feed. In essence, by “liking” and commenting on
each other’s posts, we are connecting our “friend” base and over time,
expanding it.
When people continue to see the same name popping up in
their news feed, they are more likely to become curious and click on it. In order to make the same name appear over and over, you must visit the same pages over and over and continue your efforts of "liking" and commenting. It is a process and involves hundreds of clicks on your targeted sites every week.
So, if you’ve ever felt like you were wasting
time traversing your news feed and “liking” posts, you’re not…you’re actually
helping grow your own visibility and the visibility of the people, places and
projects you like.
TARGET YOUR NETWORKING EFFORTS
Liking everyone’s posts would be impossible, so it is
important to target your social networking to the people and projects that are
related to you and your work.
For example, my daughter is an actress. Therefore, when she is filming a particular
project, I will target my networking efforts to that project and the people
involved therein. Anything that they
post that is related to that particular project, I “like” or comment on. Sometimes I will even “share” it to my own
wall. Or, if I really want to drive viewers
to it, I will download the pictures or information they have posted and then post
it on my wall as if it is a new post from me.
This feeds directly to my “friends” list as a post by me, not just a
post I have “shared.” Posts by you will
statistically generate more interaction from those on your “friends” list than
posts you have “shared.”
Commenting, liking and re-posting literally builds a network
between you and the people you support.
In growing their visibility, you are expanding your own. But it doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen without the commitment to visit those targeted pages over and over and over again.
Doesn’t it behoove me to network with people who have more “friends”
than me? Absolutely. Those with the most followers, fans, friends,
etc. have the farthest reach in the virtual world. If they “like” or comment on your posts, it
can only help you; and you should definitely be “liking” and commenting on their
posts.
There is no marketing effort that is in vain. Every time your name appears you are getting
it out there. The goal of social
networking is to get people talking about you, your project, your product, your
vision. Thus, every action you take in
this direction…every “like”…every comment…every “friend”… is a step in the
right direction.
Remember, giant leaps
begin with small steps.
Although constantly visiting the same pages over and over
can feel a bit like stalking, it is important to realize that the difference
lies in your reason for being there. If
you are visiting for promotional purposes and the opportunity to grow your
base, you’re marketing. If you are
visiting for personal purposes to see what they did over the weekend, then you
might be guilty of stalking.
One author asked, “What if someone gets mad at me or thinks
I’m strange for constantly commenting on or liking their posts?”
That’s their problem, not yours. As long as your comments are polite and
professional, there is nothing wrong with commenting or “liking.”
There are some people who do not understand how social
networking works and who will be prone to think that you are visiting their
page with ulterior motives. These people
put themselves out there publicly and then pretend that they are victimized or
harassed when their pages are frequently visited. They are narcissists who
believe everyone wants them and everyone is stalking them. Honestly, these people should not be in the
public eye because they cannot handle it.
So, don’t worry about them. If someone gets offended by the fact that you
“like,” comment or re-post their posts, mark them off your list and move on. Those who understand the value of social
networking will not be offended by your actions.
Social networking is just that…networking. It is building a network of people with
common interests. So, determine your
target market and begin reaching out to those people today. ~
