And social commerce is all about building relationships. Social media gives a business or brand the ability for creating social conversations. The goal is to turn communication into interactive social conversations. So you need very good conversation skills.
Social networking is not about farming followers; it’s a way of cultivating relationships.
Anyone eager to create an online presence can take static or one-way communication and turn it into the vibrant, dynamic and energetic conversation. Ones that trust and relationships are built from.
Social media opens the door to deeper, more meaningful conversations; allowing businesses to share meaningful, relevant messages consumers seek and all in real-time.
Before we get to these great ideas to create or improve social conversations, let’s first review some frequent misconceptions about social media. Social media is NOT:
About being on Facebook. Or Twitter. Those are platforms and not the end state. The end state is about customer engagement.
About being a big brand. When creating social conversations, the size of the business doesn’t matter.
About being the first mover in adopting new technology. That has value, but is it what you want your customers to talk about? We think not.
To create meaningful social conversations, you must first open the lines of communication. Below are 15 ideas for creating social media conversations that captivate and inspire your online community!
Become coordinated
Get your social media coordinated! This will take a mix of strategy, planning and the right tools to execute.
Maximize your social media marketing strategy by leveraging each social channel as well as your blog.
For example: If you post to your blog, coordinate your efforts to publish it across the web. From Google+, Facebook and Twitter, use social media to help spread your message.
Tools to help automate your efforts:
Buffer– Far and away one of my favorite tools, Buffer is a smarter way to schedule the great content you find. Fill up your Buffer at one time in the day and Buffer posts automagically
IFTTT– Connect two applications (Pinterest and Twitter for example – see the recipe here) and then determine how you will automate that task based on specific parameters.
WP to Twitter— Send a Tweet from your blog or website
me — Auto Tweet new blog posts
Social Media Pack – Twitter Module— Sends a Tweet when you post something new
Then keep track of how many times someone shared, tweeted or buzzed your content with Markerly.
Customer retention
It is less costly to keep existing customers than finding new ones. So focus conversations on current customers. They are not all alike either, so watch for your priorities.
Always capitalize
A smart social media marketer creates opportunity through meaningful conversation.
They also know how and when to capitalize on that opportunity. They are quick to act and don’t spend an inordinate amount of time agonizing over the decision.
They are clear, precise and swift to evolve and push beyond any self-imposed boundaries. They keep their eyes and mind open and are willing to let go of any fear holding them back.
They know that the sooner they engage, the quicker they will feel connected to their community.
Think stories
Think about the stories that you were told as children. They are etched into our subconscious. Use pictures and videos to tell your stories in creative new ways. Ways that will be remembered and talked about. Stories are sticky.
Be curious
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. ~ Walt Disney
Curiosity in marketing is no different than it is in life. Curiosity keeps us fresh, inventive and open to new and unique ideas.
Never stop learning, adapting and re-energizing your strategy.
Whether your current marketing efforts are flourishing or failing, curiosity is a quality you must maintain.
Creating social conversations … think service
Always put your priority on your service, not your products.
Company culture
Every successful brand has a specific culture. One that relates to the brand’s personality. And yes, of course, a brand has a distinctive personality. Decide what personality you want for your brand and build your culture around it.
Conversation skills … stay connected
Connecting in a real and authentic way is key to social media success no matter the size of your company. This makes it imperative for you to spend time conversing with your fans, followers, and friends every day.
Responding, commenting and engaging proves you’re a real human being, not a systematic robot.
It also creates trust, and trust is the foundation of a healthy and beneficial relationship.
There is no better way to reach those you are wishing to stay in front of than getting (and staying) socially connected.
Conversation skills … keep it simple
It is difficult to be heard above all the noise in the marketplace. So grab attention and hold it with simple messages.
What do you want customers to remember?
Plan your conversation topics on the interests of your most important customers. It’s not about you and rarely about your business. Will your conversations be remarkable enough to be talked about? That is your goal.
Stay current
Remaining relevant requires that you stay up-to-date on the latest trends within your industry.
RSS feeds, bookmarking sites and apps such as Feedly will allow for quick browsing and sharing.
Know what is impacting your industry and then share how it affects your fans and followers. It keeps you in-the-know and ahead of both negative and positive changes.
Share important, timely and beneficial information to build credibility and thought leadership.
Monetary value or conversation value?
Here is the question. Who are your most valuable customers? The ones that spend the most? Or the ones that create the newest customers for you? It turns out that both are needed. Target both.
Random acts of kindness
Nothing works better than a simple surprise act of kindness. Do something that will make a difference and be talked about.
Relationships are key
Social media is all about building and exploring customer relationships. Continually look for new ways to engage. Remember engagement is a two-way street.
Happy customers
It turns out that the happiest customers drive retention and conversations. Are you committed to making your customers happy?
Offline conversations
Remember that 80-90 % of conversations happen offline. So pay attention to customer conversations in the store.
Manage expectations
Do more than customers expect … but don’t go overboard.
Everything business is conversations
Create interesting topics that are conversation worthy. Plan ahead and stay up on interesting and current topics in the media.
Facilitate
Use techniques that permit customer collaboration. Ask for their explicit opinions and recommendations. Set up simple polls and opinion surveys on topics of customer interest.
Pilot projects
Try new ideas as pilot projects on a small scale often. What works build out in scale.
It’s up to you to keep improving your ability to create interesting conversation.
