~by Haley Lynn Gray~
Do you take advantage of social networking opportunities?
All too often I see people slowly dip their toes into social media groups. Then they lurk quietly on the sidelines, and rarely, if ever, post anything. Then they wonder why no-one ever notices that they exist. If you recognize yourself in this description, we need to change that.
The reality is that if no one knows you exist, they can’t do business with you. They can’t buy your amazing products and services, and you’re not going to make any money.
After all, the reason you started your business is to make money, to support yourself, and perhaps to support your family. But to do that, you have to let people know you exist and that you want to do business with them.
So, to let people know you exist, you need to get out there and tell people about yourself. My first suggestion is to simply introduce yourself in each of the groups you are a member of on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as on other social media platforms. This may be uncomfortable for you at first.
You may be surprised at how few people keep up with social media posts. There’s so much traffic on social media that people can often be oblivious to what’s going on with others. And sometimes they just get locked in their own lives and end up missing out on news of others. So the more you post, the better chance you have of getting seen. I recently had a situation with a child in the hospital and I posted about it on Facebook. Now, I have about 1,500 friends on Facebook. I got hundreds of comments, likes, and ongoing commentary from those who kept up on posts. After my daughter got out of the hospital, nearly a week later, I got questions from others who had just found out that she had been critically ill and in the hospital.
Social media is wacky at best. Sometimes people will see your updates, and sometimes they won’t. So, if you’re starting a new business, or if you’ve just started a new business, consider putting it out even on your personal profile and asking your friends and family to send you clients and customers by introducing your business.
The more you go out and introduce yourself in groups you’re in, and on your social media platforms, the more people will know what you do.
Another suggestion I have is to point to your company’s page or your social media profiles when introducing yourself. You’re not doing yourself any favors if you list yourself as “self employed” on your personal Facebook page. Most people are going to look at your public Facebook profile, and then try to find your business page from there. If they can’t get there from your personal page you will have lost them.
You need to list your company on your other social media profiles as well, whether it’s Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, or another platform, you need to point to your business’ website.
Oh, you think that your social media account is for personal stuff only? You may want it to be that way, but the second you conduct the first piece of business online, you’ll need to treat your profiles as links to your business and anything on social media as available to the public, no matter how tightly you think you have your information locked down.
There are billions of dollars of business being conducted through online platforms, so go ahead and grab your piece of the pie by introducing yourself.
Meet the Author: Haley Lynn Gray
Haley helps female entrepreneurs create a strategy plan for their businesses – so they can make enough money to spend quality time with their family, pay for their children’s dance lessons, pay bills – and not worry about where the next client is coming from.
Haley is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Leadership Girl. She helps other entrepreneurs build their businesses by sharing the benefits of her business education and experience through Business Coaching.
Whether you want to get a new business off the ground or expand an existing business, Haley can assist you.
Connect with Haley:
- Work with Haley
- Facebook Page: @Leadershipgirl
- LinkedIn: Haley Lynn Gray
