Business to Business
Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Oh My! goals? In order to answer this you need to think forward about where you want to be 2 or 3 years from now. Who would you like to be associated with? By having a clear picture of your goals you can strategically use social media to attract people into your space with whom you may never have met any other way. They may be potential employees, employers, partners, consultants, advisors, investors, or just new friends who share common interests.
By: Carol McManus Are you still confused by social media? Don’t know where to start? Afraid of losing control of your identity? Not enough time in the day? All of these questions are ones I hear every day from people in my audiences and clients I serve. Even though social media is a well-established reality in our 21st century of communication, the choices are still daunting. Before you decide what social media sites are right for you, you need you have a clear understanding of how you want social media to support your business and your personal brand. Each site has a personality, a style and a demographic. If you goal is to use social media to connect with old friends and family, then the choices are easier. By far, the most popular site today would be facebook. You can keep your circle of ‘friends’ tight and you can keep your information hidden from the rest of the world. You should, however, remain selective about who you bring into your world as you can still be compromised by association through photos and videos if you are tagged. I find the majority of adults are seeking a balance between using social media for personal connections versus growing their business or professional connections. If that is your goal, then pay close attention. There are strategic steps you can take that will insure you make the right decisions about what sites to join, what people to bring into your universe and how to effectively use social media. So regardless of what you are doing today, I recommend that you take a step back to look at yourself and your business and answer a few basic questions. 1. What are my business and professional
“Yes, Carol! I want to be more effective using LinkedIn to bring me more referrals, leads, and closed business.” If this is you, then email me today carolmcmanus@linkedinlady.com to receive my hottest tips for LinkedIn users. Just put hot tips in the subject line. You will receive my • Top 5 MustͲDo’s to have an effective presence on LinkedIn • Top 5 Mistakes that are driving people away from your profile This is totally FREE. 2. What is my marketing message? Whether you are using social media to grow your business or establish your own personal brand, you have (or should have) a marketing message. What would be the tag line you would like to be associated with you? You want to be known as the ‘go to’ person for whatever expertise, service or product you represent. If it is for your company, then the message should be consistent with your company marketing message. If it is to grow your own personal brand, then take time to establish a marketing message that truly represents the essence of who you are and how you want to be perceived. 3. Who is my ideal client? This sounds like a simple question, but the more specific you can be, the better choices you can make about what sites and right and what your approach
should be. For example, if you are in the business to business market or a professional in the business to consumer market, then LinkedIn must be part of your strategy. The demographics are the strongest among all social media for high-earners, senior executives, decision-makers or people who directly influence buying decisions in their companies. If, on the other hand, you are in the business to consumer market and are targeting people who are direct consumers then facebook is likely to be your top choice. If you want to attract a wide audience and establish yourself as a leading authority on a specific topic, then twitter may serve you well. You can use your tweets to entice people to follow you by establishing your expertise and from there, redirect to where they can go for the bigger message. That might be your website, your blog, your LinkedIn profile, your facebook page, an article you wrote, or any place else on the internet that will strengthen and deepen the relationship. 4. How do I want to be perceived on social media? This ultimately is the most important question. Social media demands that you be authentic and transparent and to a large degree, consistent in your image. You are networking in the virtual world. While attending live networking events, chamber of commerce meetings or other social functions certainly does all the things we talked about, you need to do more. There are not enough hours in the day to attend enough networking events to reach everyone you want to reach and if you want to attract people out of your geography, this is by far the best way to open those doors to future business.
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According to Erik Qualman of Socialnomics, “social media is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.” I agree and it has become both an art and a science. Plan carefully, but don’t hesitate to take steps to make your voice and your presence known. There are wonderful people out there waiting to meet you, support you, and do business with you! Please feel free to contact me directly with you questions at carolmcmanus@linkedinlady.com and of course, send me your invitation to connect on LinkedIn.
Testimonials: “Thank you for your coaching today. I never really thought that LinkedIn was that important but now I see how it can really connect you with people, groups, etc. I also see the benefit of using my business email rather than personal. Thank you for that, too.” J. Cicalese – Fairfield County, CT “I met Carol through LinkedIn and was very impressed with her professionalism, insightfulness and her passion in making a difference in other people’s lives. I have the pleasure to partner with her on a new venture and she has made huge strides in a short period of time due to her ability to identify top talent and help others reach their full potential using her natural coaching abilities.” A. Borgardt – Oshkosh, WI “Companies that work with Carol are in for a treat. She is a commensurate professional who can combine both strategic and tactical thinking into action that creates dynamic outcomes for companies.” M. Ferrara – Boston, MA “Carol delivers an enthusiastic, positive nature to her professional consulting endeavors. Whether she is coaching her clients through challenging management situations or guiding them through operational efficiencies, Carol’s leadership and enthusiasm is contagious and drives results for any organization, large or small.” R. Calanni – Parsippany, NJ
203-286-8760 carol.mcmanus@ywait4success.com
Fairfield County Woman
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 35