The 7 Commandments of Social Media Marketing

Written By : Clifford Blodgett

Social media marketing is quickly becoming the most powerful and effective way to reach your target audience. But as with any other endeavor, your campaign will be less effective if you don’t first become familiar with a few basic guidelines.

If you never read another word about promoting yourself on Facebook or LinkedIn, remember to at least follow these seven commandments of social media marketing.

1. Listen to your audience. Before you create your own content, take the time to listen to your audience. Join some social media groups that appeal to your target demographic, and take part in some discussions. For a financial advisor, this could mean you join groups aimed at Baby Boomers or retirees. Learn about their concerns, so that you can create content that answers their questions.

2. Focus. You can’t be everything to everyone. Narrow your focus to appeal to a particular demographic, and to promote a certain message. How do you want to portray yourself on social media? It’s important to answer this question before you get started.

3. Create quality connections. Use the search metrics of your chosen social media platform, and discover the connections who are most likely to value your messages. It’s better to make 500 contacts who will read your content and truly interact with you, than to connect with 5,000 people who are unlikely to ever convert into clients.

4. Add value. Remember that social media is social. People will be attracted to you because you offer something they value. So avoid simply trying to “sell” yourself and your services, and give your audience content they will truly appreciate. Focus on building relationships rather than pushing for the sale.

5. Reciprocate. Just as in any social relationship, expect a bit of give-and-take. You can’t expect your followers to continue engaging with you if you never give anything back. Spend a some of your time on social media sharing and discussing content that your contacts have posted.

6. Multiply your efforts. Each blog can bring in traffic from multiple sources, if you take the right steps. Remember to produce high-quality, engaging content that your social media followers will want to share with their contacts. Also include relevant keywords that will aid your search engine rankings. Finally, consider sharing your blogs via an email campaign to attract a highly targeted audience. Maximize the potential of every bit of material you produce.

7. Commit to your strategy. Social media marketing will sometimes result in a sudden increase in business. But in most cases, it’s a marathon rather than a sprint. Your strategy will pay off over time, so commit to it and be patient with the process.

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Filed under: Social Media for Financial Advisors